Two Feet Short
by giraffeduelist
Summary: Toshinori Yagi finds himself shorter, younger then he was when he fell asleep and he's not the only one who's changed over night. As he works with the faculty and students of UA, he struggles to find a cure or will have to live with the changes for the rest of his life.
1. Chapter 1

The first indication that Toshinori's life took a strange turn, was when he woke up feeling nothing.

On a typical morning, his left side would ache long after he took his medications. The taste of iron strong on his tongue and aches in every joint he had. Everything popped back into place as he walked to his kitchen for tea and what little breakfast he could have.

The fact that he was not only waking up without the constant aches and pains, but also felt well rested, was a complete surprise. Maybe the world decided to finally kill him?

He couldn't focus too heavily on that train of thought before he started noticing other things that were just as wrong. His feet were warm. His blankets usually just missed covering the tops of his feet once stretched out fully. Now, his legs were fully extended but his toes were a far ways away from the end of the blanket. They were quite a distance from the end of the bed as well.

He sat up slowly, scared of what may be causing this new, strange comfort. He saw almost everything else that was wrong: his feet made smaller lumps in his blankets then they typically did, not a single joint popped, and he had the smallest pair of hands he'd seen on a 52 year old man, let alone one of his size.

That was where Toshinori started panicking. Ripping the sheets away from his now tiny form, he jumped out of bed and bolted to the bathroom. It took twice the number of steps to get there as per usual.

It was a similar experience to the old cartoons he'd watch as a child. The protagonist would drink some kind of green potion and the world change around their very being, everything slowly getting bigger, taller. It was too overwhelming to focus on.

Once inside of the bathroom, he just barely saw from his neck and up through the mirror hung high up on the wall, but that was all he needed to see. His unruly blond hair was now the slightest bit more tame. His long bangs were shorter and straighter. His hair look less damaged and greasy and more fluffy. His face was void of wrinkles and the dark bags under his eyes were gone. His face held life, youth even. His cheeks were full, eyes no longer sunken in, jaw a more round shape, and his profound height almost cut in half.

The panic that boiled in his now existent stomach rose to his heart and up his throat, into the sink and down the drain. The scream he felt crawl out of his throat did nothing to ease his dread.

…

Toshinori called Nezu the moment he was calm enough to think rationally. He was still near hyperventilating and the nausea from before seemed to return. He almost missed the cheerful tone of Nezu answering his call.

"All Might! What can I do for you this fine morning?" Nezu's calm tone calmed his bubbling dread, if only marginally.

"Nezu! I don't know what happened! I'm young and I can't-I can'tseemyselfinthemirrorWhat'swrongwithmeI-" His heart beat against his chest painfully.

"Please calm down. Panicking will help neither of us. Now, take a deep breathe and start again."

The pro hero stopped, struggled to take release his deep breathe and started over. "Nezu. I'm short and I don't know what to do." It was surprising how well he hid the tremor in his throat.

"Short, you say? Hm. I ask you to stay where you are. I'd hate for the media to catch work of your predicament and broadcast it over all of Japan. I will send someone to you."

Toshinori's phone beeped, announcing that Nezu had hung up.

He took another few minutes to stand up from his bedroom floor and looked through his clothes for something, anything to wear. His clothes were already too big on him as an adult. It would be only worse as...whatever he was now.

He chose the smallest shirt he owned, which was still outrageously large on him, and wore his boxers as shorts.

Once "dressed", Toshinori padded into his kitchen in hopes to ease to nausea. When he had moved into the quiet neighborhood, he had had to remodel the entire house to fit his height. The windows, cabinets, counters, and even roof had been moved an extra two feet up. That change did no favors for his shorter form now.

Opening a lower cupboard, he climbed up the counter and looked at his tall kitchen from the new view point. He could easily reach the bread on top of the fridge and any dishes he wished to use. He opened the cupboard holding his many jars of rice and a few cans of soup.

As the blond reached for a can, his stomach twisted with a strong wave of nausea and he gagged. It made sense for him to be this hungry, having been without the organ for six years now. Once the wave passed, leaving him feeling empty, he tried for the can again and gathered a few bags of rice as well.

"Now to get down…" Setting down his pre-made breakfast, he turned around on his knees very slowly, facing toward the dark wood cabinet and slowly lowered a single leg down to the floor. It didn't reach. He stretched it further but still felt nothing.

Taking a deep breathe, he grabbed hold of the self in front of him and slowly lowered his other foot, the edge of the counter pressing against his sensitive abdomen. Just as Toshinori was ready to slide a bit lower, his fingers slipping from the wood and he fell the rest of the way down, landing with a sharp jolt, on his back.

The air was pushed from his lungs, and he struggled to stay calm, not gasping for another breath. Once his lungs started to function again, he sat up slowly, rubbing at the stinging pain on his back and tailbone. He was only grateful his head didn't hit quite as hard.

Slowly getting to his feet, another wave of nausea hit him and he held his twitching stomach in an attempt to keep from spilling bile over his tile floors. The wave passed quicker then the last and he stood up straight.

He retrieved a small pot and struggled to hold it steady after filling it with water and rice. He set it onto the stove and could barely reach the knob to turn it on. Toshinori let out a long sigh and sat on the cold floor of his kitchen. Breakfast never took quite that much work before.

Deciding to find any other changes that may have sprung onto him in his panic, he checks over his himself. His arms and legs were less bony and ill looking, holding his natural tan. His legs were covered in short, blond hair and his toes were no longer pale and dead. They were actually quite soft. His hands were beautiful and young. His middle finger was no longer crooked and his hands held no scars. Even his hard earned calluses were replaced with smooth skin.

Slowly lifting up his baggy shirt, he touched his left side, which held no scar. It was all smooth skin. His ribs were no longer threatening to break the skin pulled tight around them and his stomach poked out in a naturally healthy way. The way a young child would. Toshinori felt tears sting the back of his eyes. His body was so perfect.

Refusing to let the tears run, he stood up and hesitated before peeking into his large boxers. With the snap of his elastic, he could safely say he was a pre-teen. It was strange how the realization settled his nerves.

The now younger blond was pulled from his thoughts by the rice boiling over. He quickly blew the bubbles away and turned down the temperature. Adding his simple cream soup to the sticky rice and paused before realizing he still needed a bowl. With a sigh, he turned off the stove -almost burning his elbow over the used burner- and slowly climbed back up onto the counter.

The bowls were in a higher shelf. He slowly got to his feet, weary of the edge of his marble counter, and reached for a smaller bowl and a pair of chopsticks. He slowly crouched down, placing the utensils and dish onto the side of the stove, and took the risk of jumping down. A jolt shot through his legs, but he recovered quickly. Turning back to the stove, he served himself and placed the used pot into the high sink.

He took his bowl in both hands and padded to the couch to avoid the large chairs. Toshinori was halfway through his bowl before he heard a knock on his front door. Be debated between leaving Nezu, or whoever he had sent, outside as he finished his breakfast, but thought better of it. He still had to be polite, even in the stress of his situation.

The blond steeled himself and slowly walked to the front door. It was strange, not having to bend down to avoid hitting his head. It was almost nice, being a smaller size. Almost.

Two familiar men stood just outside of his door. He talked with Present Mic often, whether about his lack of skills in computers, lesson planning or just teaching in general. He was always so kind, willing to help the poor old man. He was close enough to the school DJ to consider him a friend.

Eraserhead, on the other hand, was a much more prickly person and hid nothing about his opinion. He had known the man disliked him from the first day. He had, however, -whether in kindness or duty- helped him plan his first month's worth of classes and seemed to glare at him a bit less after his run in with All For One. It made visiting 20 different sets of parents more bearable.

Present Mic's expression was a mix of awe and horror. It made sense. "Yo, Sho? I think All Might has a kid…"

Aizawa hid his surprise better, but it was a far cry from his usual serious self. "What's going on here? Nezu never said anything about…" his hand gestured generally to Toshinori. Both spoke as if he was deaf, which was quite rude.

"So Nezu sent you two?" He gave what he hoped was a kind smile. The two guests looked at him for a few seconds before Yamada nodded enthusiastically.

"Could you get Yagi Toshinori for us, little listener?" He shot some finger guns.

"I am Yagi Toshinori." He really didn't look that different, did he? His voice was still fairly low for someone his age. Or, his new age.

Aizawa sighed. "You might not be coming back here for a while so take a backpack of anything you may need."

Toshinori nodded slowly, hoping he wouldn't stay at UA over night. He had a hard enough time getting sleep as it was. "Oh! I forgot to invite you in! Please make yourselves comfortable." he ran back to the couch and shoveled the rest of his food into his mouth before discarding it into the sink. Still chewing, he set some water to boil with less effort then breakfast took and ran into his room to pack.

He didn't care to gather clothes that wouldn't fit him, so he took an extra pair of socks -he didn't need to look to know his shoes wouldn't fit- and shoved a few medicine bottles into his old backpack just in case. He took his teaching ID, wallet and a small blanket given to him from a fan who seemed to underestimate his height.

Now ready for anything that would come for him, Toshinori pulled on his backpack and headed back to the kitchen just in time to stop the dreaded whistle of the kettle. Yamada offered help with his stove, but it was turned away quickly. They were still his guests, and guests didn't do chores.

Holding three mugs was a big more of a challenge then he last remembered it being, but managed without spilling a drop of coffee or tea. He settled down opposite to Yamada and Aizawa, relieved to finally taste his beloved green tea.

"Thanks for the coffee, little listener. The machine in the teacher's lounge managed to break again and let me tell ya, driving around with an uncaffeinated Shouta is rough." The speaker hero's laugh was contagious, making Toshinori feel light for the first time that morning.

"Can we leave now?" the coffee didn't seem to do much for Aizawa's mood.

Toshinori looked at his socked feet, rubbing them together and nodded nervously. Typically, this kind of anxiety was easily replaced with a smile, but the muscles in his face felt harder to pull upward. It made his heart ache when he tried. Stupid hormones.

"Let's get going then! It'll be fun! You won't have to worry about coughing blood or any of that stuff!" Yamada's attempts at cheering him up almost worked, had the younger boy's mind not automatically contradicted each comment.

Scooting off the couch, Toshinori followed the older men into a black car with the UA symbol embroidered across the hood. He sat himself in the back seat, alone. Yamada was the one to drive and they made it to the school fairly quickly. The blond only became self conscious of his improv outfit once he saw the students slowly making their way from the dorms to the main building. The instinct to hide pressed against his mind, but he pushed back just as hard. He was not scared and would not hide from a couple of students.

With a smile spread across his face and hands gripping the thick straps of his backpack, Toshinori marched toward UA.


	2. Chapter 2

Nezu had greeted Toshinori and his two shofers -he still wasn't quite sure why the mouse has sent both Aizawa and Yamada- with a room full of heroes. After some processing, he came to realize that each were his coworkers. Snipe, Ectoplasm and Power Loader sat at the closest table, getting front row seats to the cinema that was the retired hero's life. 13, Cementoss, and Blood King were seated closer to Nezu, 13 whispered to Cementoss most likely about him.

Aizawa and Yamada left his side to sit next to Kayama. He didn't know where to be. He hadn't been warned about the meeting before arriving and he likely would be the center of attention, which was nothing outrageously new to him, but in such a fragile state? That would be a pass for him.

"Come here, All Might." Nezu gestured to the seat beside him and Toshinori rushed to the chair with a wave of relief. Shoving his backpack onto the floor, he sat down and looked around the room. The desk was uncomfortably low and his legs barely touches the floor. Repositioning himself, he sat on his legs and nodded to himself at the better view -still shorter than he was used to but it would have to do.

Most other teachers avoided looking at him in favor of Nezu. They must have been warned then. He was almost surprised when no one shouted in question like Yamada had when picking him up.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Now, I'm sure you are all well aware that your fellow teacher has found himself in a peculiar situation. How would you suggest we assess the issue?" Nezu set a warm cup of tea in front of anyone he could reach.

Aizawa answered immediately. "He shouldn't be teaching, that's for sure. Not only does he no longer hold any authority over his students but he's younger than them, if I'm not mistaken." The black haired man stared at Toshinori for the last comment.

The blonde only give him a small nod, not wanting to embarrass himself by speaking with his pitiful voice. Aizawa slouched in his seat at that and waited for others to fill in. They both knew his mind wouldn't be easily changed.

"I mean, we could just explain it to the kid and that should clear everything else up, right? He's still All Might. Besides, who wouldn't listen to someone so cute?" Kayama supplied, still staring at him in a way that made him both embarrassed and flattered in the strangest way.

"Yo! She's got a point! All of the kids like All Might! Even Bakugou! It's kinda worth it, right?" Yamada agreed.

Nezu nodded in consideration before turning to the other occupants of the room. Snipe tipped his had with a dramatic effect that Toshinori appreciated. "Aizawa's right. He's gonna be more like a babysitter then a real teacher, no matter how much the students respect him.

13 stood up at that, raising a finger in the air. "What if he filled in for Midoriya?"

Toshinori perked up at this. _Midoriya…? _"What happened to young Midoriya?" he couldn't keep himself from asking. If his successor was somehow hurt, he needed to know. His heart ached with the possibility.

Nezu smiled at him, closer to his height now. "13 had reported to me that Izuku Midoriya had somehow aged forward, while and were out to get you."

"He...aged? How is that possible?" A funny question for him to ask, given his change. Nezu laughed softly and said repeated his thoughts.

"Yeah," 13 started again. "Like I said, can't he just take classes for Midoriya while we solve the problem?" It was a reasonable idea.

"I'm afraid that would be a difficult arrangement. All Might and young Midoriya may be similar, but they are still two very different human beings. What All Might may get from a lecture may be useless information to Midoiriya." Nezu stayed ever so calm. Toshinori appreciated it again as he struggled to imagine what his boy might look like at that very second.

"The students wouldn't believe any lies we fed them anyway. Besides, the way All Might's been playing favorites would only make suspicion grow in a situation like that, assuming it's not suspicious as it stands." Aizawa's open criticism did little for the blonde's nerves, but he didn't take offense to the harshness of the words.

"Well, we can't just throw away all of those years the kid's missed. What if we never fix this? How are we going to make up for that lost time? He's lost years!" Kayama protested.

The conference continued as Toshiorni pondered on those questions. She had every right to be upset, if not scared for the boy. The boy hadn't even gotten to finish his full first year at UA. He still had so much to learn. About the world, about himself, about his given quirk. All that advancement had been ripped away from him. He had such great potential, he was going to be better than All Might had ever been. Could ever hope to be. His boy could no longer be young again.

The retired hero's, now young, heart beat too intensely. The panic became more and more unbearable. The hormones rushed through his veins as he tried to grasp the entirety of the concept. Of how much his boy has really lost.

Toshinori wished that he was the one who's time was cut away, instead of multiplied, not that he had much time left anyway. He was due to die any day at that point. _What about now?_ That thought shocked him almost as much. He was so ready to for death, had prepared for it and accepted the fate he couldn't escape. Nighteye had foretold it, how could it just...change? Surely Nighteye didn't see all of this. What was he supposed to do with a life he had never planned for? Really, he had already lived this life. Had already achieved his dreams and become all he could.

It made no sense. He couldn't accept this as an option. This reality, where he lives and his boy is deprived of his dreams. His goals.

"We need to fix this! I won't let...we can't let this happen to him!" He stared at Nezu as he struggled for the words. He wanted to scream, to cry...but he couldn't. He had to hide his panic and fear inside despite the nausea and hormones. He had to be an adult, even if his body made it almost impossible.

"Do calm yourself. The situation is being taken care of. The boy will be okay." Nezu patted his back in a comforting manner, But it didn't ease his panic.

Instead of trusting whatever Nezu, Toshinori stood up and left the room. He couldn't stay in that room if he was going to make a scene. He didn't want to make a bigger fool of himself than he already was. So, he walked the halls of the school, willing his rapid heartbeat to slow and wringing his shaky hands through his oversized shirt. Stop thinking about Izuku. _Stop thinking about Izuku. Stop thinking! Stop! STOP!_

He couldn't take it anymore. His shaky legs let out, throwing him against the nearest wall and down to the floor. He sat there, hugging his knees, trying so desperately to push the hormones away. He was near hyperventilating again. His lungs hurt from not getting enough air and his head was getting fuzzier. He needed to breathe. Breathe!

"Breathe!"

Toshinori barely noticed that the voice was not his, but it gave him something to focus on. Anything but the pain his poor boy was going through. "Just breathe, okay? Will you do it with me? In 1 2 3, out 1 2 3. Again. In 1 2 3, out 1 2 3. Good job!" There was a figure next to him and once Toshinori could get enough oxygen to his brain, he looked up at the face of his rescuer.

Green eyes met his gaze and he stopped breathing again for a second. _Izuku?_

"Are you alri-" those big, round eyes seemed to notice him as well and neither could talk. Toshinori used this as an opportunity to observe the changes in his successor.

He was taller, not quite as tall as the blonde, but still tall. He was also bigger, like All Might, but there was something off with his bulk. There were more scars covering his face and arms. He was wearing a too small gym uniform that was stretched around his body but his feet were shoe and sockless. His wild hair was mostly the same, beside the shaved sides. It was a good look on him. It made him look older in a young way? A strange thought.

"All Might…?" Izuku whispered, his fingers twitching to move but didn't.

"Izuku, my boy." the retired hero responded, slowly reaching up to touch him. His fingers grazed his cheek and rubbed lightly at the scar on his nose. Then the tears came and the overwhelming emotion that came with them. It wasn't quite a full sob, just a small stream trailing down to his chin.

"All Might!" Izuku explained in surprise. "What-Why are you crying?!"

He felt pathetic. How could he cry in front of his successor? Then the boy-man's question registered. "I-I...You're too old!" The thin streams were getting thicker, the emotions pushing harder to come out.

"What?!" Izuku chuckled and rubbed at the back of his head, looking away for a moment, a smile gracing his expression. "I thought I was the one who was supposed to be crying."

That one comment opened the tear ducts fully, allowing all water in his body to flow through his eyes. He was both embarrassing to cry so heavily and it hurt. His heart stung, his lungs ached and any attempt at speaking was obscured by his voice cracks. Toshinori his face in shame, almost wishing his successor would leave him to battle this alone, like he always did. His knees pulled closer and he shut Izuku out.

Large, strong arms wrapped around his small body, filling him with a comforting warmth. They didn't pull him or pry to see his face, they simply held him. It gave him something to depend on as he sobbed helplessly. Those arms continued to hold him as he stopped sobbing and he stuttered in breathes. They only released when he wiped at his puffy eyes and started carding through his thick hair.

"I'm not used to this…" His voice cracked with every word, but it was relieving to be able to speak at all.

Izuku chuckled, the deeper tone of his voice was strange but nice. He had aged well. "You can say that again. It's so weird, being taller, older. I can feel the difference every second. I'm less anxious and embarrassed. It's that funny?" The green haired boy had stars in his eyes. He was so relaxed, so calm. He talked to Toshinori as an equal instead of a fanboy. He liked it.

Toshinori let himself smile. "I doubt your crying's changed." It was funny coming from the one who had been sobbing a minute ago.

Izuku laughed a bit awkwardly at that. "I've already cried a few times today as it is." Then the man seemed to notice the barely put-together outfit Toshinori was wearing and covered his laugh. "Um, you may need something better to wear."

Looking down, he remembered how embarrassingly bright his boxers were. Classic red hearts. His shirt covered a lot of them, but the front was tucked in, leaving everything else exposed. "I think so too." he mumbled.

Izuku stood up with a groan and held his hand out. "There should be a uniform that fits. I know I wouldn't want to walk around in my underwear."

Toshinori took his hand and stood up. "Lead the way, old man." He couldn't really call him young anymore.

The blond laughed as Izuku sputtered and looked at him in confusion. "I'm not that old! I'm at least 30!" They made their way down the halls to the supply room where most unclaimed uniforms were.


	3. Chapter 3

There hadn't been a single spare uniform in the supply room. There wasn't so much as a single pair of pants. Toshinori was stuck in his embarrassing attire that he regretted leaving in with every passing minute. (old?) Midoriya had suggested they try asking students instead, which was obviously not going to end well either, but it was either that or he tried to see if Chiyo had anything for him, which he was very strictly against. Not only was she going to beat him, but he was healthy enough for her to no longer hold back. He would be black and blue in the shape of a syringe cane for the rest of his days.

He also decided to not tell Torino-sensei. He didn't feel like dealing with the old man on his good days, and his teacher would more than likely find any excuse to verbally abuse him -in a way that was slightly more legal- and he really couldn't afford another panic attack.

Unfortunately for both of them, classes were now insession. The students had moved on from breakfast and the teachers had finished their meeting. The meeting he never returned to and felt slightly guilty for leaving in the first place. He really needed to get a better grip on his hormones. And impulses. Those weren't too good either.

"Well, since we can't ask anyone, how about we go to the dorms in case someone's sick? Or maybe I have something." Midoriya was starting to lose ideas and it showed.

"I'm not sure how much I'd like seeing my own face ever time I looked down." He teased, but it held truth. Did Izuku have any shirts that didn't have him on it?

"What?! I have other shirts!" It was funny how he squealed in embarrassment despite his older age.

"Do you? Then I guess I'll have to pick from the limited number." He decided that he really liked teasing his boy. His man? No. that was just weird.

Izuku only grumbled in response, face already as bright red as it could get -without the help of any particularly cute people. Upon arriving to the student dorms, Toshinori took note of the blankets left out on the couches and the few dishes that had been left. They must have been in a hurry. The room was empty but it still smelled like breakfast. A mixture of ramen and rice, not that rice really had a smell. It looked well lived in, something he couldn't say about his own home. That thought made his heart ache.

"I don't remember anyone being sick, so I doubt we'll see anyone around here. It's pretty quiet when everyone's away." Izuku walked toward the elevators as Toshinori walked beside him.

Right. Izuku had been under house arrest with young Bakugou after their first night in the dorms. Wow, it had been a while since then. So much had happened. "Then borrowing your clothes is the best bet."

They made the trek up to Izuku's room quite quickly. He shared the floor with young Mineta, Tokoyami and Aoyama. It seemed fitting. Mineta needed to be watched relatively closely but young Iida would likely be too strict and only prove to stress the boy. Tokoyami was well grounded and respected the rules as did Aoyama. They didn't seem like a perfect team, but the two were very passionate and would be the best at keeping both -sometimes- rebellious boys under control.

Izuku hesitated in front of his door. They both knew what was inside and how embarrassing it was. Toshinori had had the pleasure of seeing the boy's room when he visited to ask his mother's view on the dorms. It was on the line of frightening and flattering. He knew well that his boy was a big fanboy and he was prepared to take it all in again.

"It might be a bit overwhelming. I have a lot of...stuff." Izuku was blushing again and rubbing at his neck.

"I can handle whatever's lurching inside of your room." It was probably better then saying he's already seen it.

With a deep breath, Izuku opened the door. He stepped inside and let Toshinori follow him.

Everything was essentially the same. Things were placed in different placed, given that his room at home was different from here, but the curtains were new. They hung in front of his balcony in their star spangled glory, just as bright as the posters and bed sheets -he was very glad to see that his face was no on his bed at all. "It's not that bad."

Izuku physically relaxed at that. "um...I'll get my shirts out." He dug through drawers, sorting through the mess of clothes -some he hid quicker than others- and others were thrown onto the floor. Once he had gone through everything, there was a decent pile of plain clothes on the floor. "You can pick whatever you want. I should do some laundry soon anyway. I can just put your clothes with it."

It was a sweet offer, but he dreaded having to explain why his boxers were in a basket with Midoriya's clothes. He definitely didn't want to go down that road. "Thanks my boy, but is this really my only option? It's not that I don't appreciate the offer or dislike your clothes but…" he trailed off, not completely sure how to word his worries.

"Oh! I completely understand! I wasn't really comfortable when Iida and Shoji offered me their clothes either." He gave Toshinori a sheepish smile.

"Wait, they already know about...that?" He gestured to all of Izuku.

"Well, it's kind of hard not to miss when I walk into the bathroom. Only a couple know, though. They called 13 before anyone else could see."

"Who all knows?" Toshinori wouldn't say he liked secrets but this was something Nezu still had yet to tell him whether to make public or not.

"Oh, well Iida and Shoji, obviously. Kirishima, Koda, Kaminari, Sato, Sero, Bakugou...Oh, and Tokoyami, Mineta and Aoyama. They say me as I was walking to the bathroom." He was counting on his fingers to make sure he didn't miss anyone.

"So...all of the boys?" Toshinori supplied.

"...yeah. All of the boys know." Izuku laughed warmly.

"Where did 13 take you after? Did you just go to Nezu?" Sure he hadn't gone to-

"Recovery Girl checked me out. She was pretty surprised and said she'd never seen it before. She also said to ask you after class but...well you don't look like you'll be teaching today."

He would, if he was allowed. He was supposed to teach these kids to be amazing heros. This little mishap really wasn't much of an excuse, was it? He was honestly healthier than he was on his best days. "Right." Was his only response. "Maybe I should talk to her as well. I don't know anything about this, obviously, so I'm not completely sure why she would ask you to go to me…"

"She thought it could've been about One For All." Izuku supplied.

"No. Nothing like this had happened before, unless it's some unknown side that I'd never unlocked and you somehow did, which...isn't impossible. Just very very unlikely." Toshinori went back to looking through the clothes.

"Oh, right! There might be a few extra uniforms in the gymnasium! For emergencies, like Mirio's case."

That would definitely be a good reason to have extra clothes. "Let's see then. I'll bring a change of yours just in case. No reason to have to walk all the way back here." He chose a lighter blue T-shirt and shorts. Long pants were harder to fit to a smaller body and he no longer had to worry about showing his sickly thin legs.

…

They made it to the gymnasium without incident. Not a single person was in the hall. He was glad this had at least happened when he'd have this private time to figure out this mess. That privacy didn't last much longer, though.

Once they had pushed open the large doors, it was obvious that a class was in session. Lucky for them, the class itself was further away and in combat. They weren't paying any mind to them. Blood King, however, looked their way the second they entered. He frowned and marched over, letting Snipe watch the students alone.

"What are you two doing here?!" he huffed.

"We were looking for an extra uniform. It seems the supply room had run low." Toshinori supplied, saving his student from the much taller man's angry stare. Or maybe it was just surprise. It was hard to tell with Blood King.

Instead of kindly showing them the way to the uniforms and keeping him from his own students further, he huffed again. "Why did you leave the meeting this morning?"

That was a loaded question. Not as loaded as some others he'd been asked, but a loaded one all the same. Izuku was also standing right next to him and admitting that he was struggling with controlling his own body was a bit embarrassing, even if the boy had watched him sob right after. "I...I didn't want to distract anyone." it was the basic explanation.

Thankfully, Blood King caught the heavy subject and moved on. "And you're helping?" He pointed to Izuku, who was considerably closer to his height.

"Yes. There's not much else to do without classes." Izuku looked away.

Huffing again, Blood King shouted at Snipe that he would return soon and walked with them to the locker room. To both of their surprise, every boy from class 1-A was in the process of getting dressed at that moment. No one paid Blood King mind but once they say Izuku and Toshinori, they paused. Those curious eyes made Toshinori wish he could sink away or evaporate into the musky smell of a good work out.

"You boys still need to get to English. Don't waste time staring." Blood King snorted as a few nodded and returned to their previous dressing.

Toshinori hadn't seen so many shirtless males in a while and it reminded him of his years at this school. The locker rooms where a lot smaller in his day and none of the lockers had real locks. You just hoped you didn't get your clothes stolen.

"Deku!" Bakugou's anger seemed to warm the entirety of the room, which was probably just from his quirk. "What the-" a bang on the metal lockers interrupted him. "Are you doing here?!"

Then, those angry, red eyes floated down to Toshinori and he almost ran. Those eyes were so much more frightening when the exploding teen was taller. "What…?" He was completely flabbergasted.

"1-A! You have five minutes to get dressed and get out!" Blood King stared directly at Bakugou as he spoke but the teen didn't look back. They made their way through the room quickly, avoiding all eye contact and didn't dare to look at anymore nearly naked bodies. When a pair of legs stepped too close, Toshinori physically covered his eyes. He knew how little boys seemed to care about privacy in that room especially. He didn't want to think of what his students looked like under their clothes as he taught. If he'd ever teach them again.

Toshinori only looked up when Blood King shoved a uniform into his arms. "This is quite a hassle for some clothes, so don't lose it." The blond nodded and turned away, going to join Izuku in the main hall again before a surprisingly tender hand rested on his head. Looking back, he caught the 1-B teacher's sympathetic look. "If you need anything else, just give me a shout." with a nod and a smile, Toshinori left again.

He liked the warm feeling in his chest. The feeling that someone cared, even if he didn't know the hero very well. His students were in very good hands.

…

Meeting with Chiyo was inevitable. He knew it and dreaded it with every step he took toward her office. She was going to beat him. He knew it. The second he walked into that dreaded infirmary, she was going to beat him with her cane in front of his successor and his life would be over. There was no way he could survive her wrath after the mess he started, even if he hadn't honestly started it. He hadn't been really beating in a while, the fight at Kamino Ward not counting. Gran Torino never visited him and he didn't visit the old man either. Chiyo would hit him of course, but it wasn't a real beating, but this one would be. He just knew it.

Ever step closer felt shaky and his breath came short. He couldn't have an anxiety attack in front of her. That would make the beating worse.

Izuku opened the door too quickly, sealing his doom as if he was oblivious to his teacher's fate. His legs went wobbly as soon as he saw the woman who was still shorter than him, but that just made wacking him all the more fun, right?

Chiyo turned around, sighing in frustration as she always did. "I swear, Aizawa, if you've gotten another one of your students hurt, I might just have to-" She stopped once she saw him.

Toshinori prepared, kneeling down and raising his hands to beg for mercy. It was the last hope he had. "Chiyo-sensei I'm sorry! I didn't mean to turn small! I-I promise!" He was having a hard time keeping his voice from cracking all over the place.

When nothing happened, the blond boy looked up and was met with weeping eyes. What?

The nurse waddled over to him, sniffing occasionally and pressed a hand against his cheek. "Oh, Toshinori." Her voice made him tear up as well, but he didn't want to cry. Not again.

It happened too quickly. Toshinori was pressing against the gentle hand, enjoying the affection too much when her cane came down on his head. He immediately retracted from her hand and covered his head. Another hit came to his side, thankfully now fully healed.

"You! Why do I always find you in the middle of every mess?! You've been dragging poor Izuku through this with you too! Get up, Boy!" It was easy to tell that the weepy eyes were gone. They had been replaced with pure rage.

A groan stopped them both and Chiyo sighed. "I'm sorry for the noise." she apologize to someone behind a curtain, in one of the many stiff infirmary beds.

"Who's that?" Izuku asked before he could.

"Poor Young Ashido's had it worse this month than usual."

Izuku was suddenly fidgety. "Is there anything I can do?!"

"Don't be silly. She's already taken pain medications and has a heating pad. She'll be fine. You, on the other hand, seem to be off worse. It seems All Might doesn't know anything about this little mess?" She turned back toward Toshinori expectantly.

"No. This never happened when I was Midoriya's age and I think I'm younger as well. If this was a simple age switch quirk, then I would be 15 and he would be a lot older. Or at least look older." He turned back to Izuku. Probably in his 40s, like his master was.

"That's true! All Might looks around Eri's age. If this isn't a quirk effect from some other person or even ourselves then what could it be? Surely we didn't just randomly change age? And if that was the case then how would we find a way to age back? Would the quirk just continue to randomize our age until it got it right? Why did it hit both of us and why hadn't it changed us when we were supposedly hit? When were we last in the same area? There's no one at UA with a quirk like that, so it has to be outside of-" The green haired male continued to mutter to himself as Chiyo handed young Ashido a glass of water as requested.

"My boy!" Toshinori elbowed his distracted student's side. "Don't look too deep into this. There's too much we don't know to make assumptions. Nezu will contact me when he figures something out." That's what Nezu had told him for reassurance.

Izuku looked down and nodded sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to mutter."

Chiyo returned to them, looking older than she usually did. He knew it was his fault she had so many worry wrinkles. "You don't have to apologize. I might need to contact Gran Torino, so if you see him, don't be surprised. Now get out of my infirmary."

Both boys winced at the thought of Gran Torino walking through UA to see them. He was, however, the only other person who knew enough about One For All to tell if this was the shared quirk's effect. He's going to get beaten by Torino-sensei for sure.

Izuku lead the two of them out and the door was closed behind them. They stood there for a few seconds, not sure what to do now that everything they could do was done.

"Maybe we can go get some lunch from Lunch Rush? It should be just before the rest of the hero course gets into the cafeteria." Izuku suggested. It appealed to the bold's needy stomach.

"We can, but I also want you to tell your mother about this." after a few parent-teacher meetings with her, he knew how much she worried and if she found out about this too late, she would kill them both. Yet another person to beat him. Why did he surround himself with people like this?

"W-What?! But she's going to cry! She might even come all the way over here!" Izuku fidgeted anxiously.

"She's your mother. She deserves to know about you skipping over half your life." he tried not to think about it too much either. He really didn't want that panic to come back.

"Alright. I'll call her." Izuku gave in pretty quickly. As they walked to the cafeteria, Izuku pulled out his phone to make the dreaded call.


	4. Chapter 4

Toshinori let Izuku call his mother in private. He knew there would be many tears and he didn't want any part of it. He agreed to pick up lunch for the two of them instead. He passed one of the students from the third year students as he went and they seemed to pay no mind to him. The uniform would do well for hiding in plain sight, not that he really was.

A loud growl grew from the pre-teen's stomach the second he entered the cafeteria. He hadn't remembered his stomach being so demanding before losing it. Maybe he could ask Lunch Rush for something special since he didn't need a strict diet any more.

That thought stopped him dead in his tracks. He could eat whatever he wanted. He could have a big, greasy hamburger or a can of soda or maybe even a slice of cake. The possibilities made his mouth water and his stomach grew louder. He could have his favorite mango mochi or a bowl full of ramen, a slice of ham and an egg on top. He could eat anything.

"Ah, there you are, All Might. I was wondering when your stomach would call you over." Lunch Rush peered at him from the kitchen door. "Help me finish up these rice balls and I'll give you something to chew on." There was a slight tease in his tone, but Toshinori didn't care. All he could think about was food.

"I'm also here to get Midoriya something. He's having a...difficult conversation with his mother." Toshinori passed through the door of the kitchen and stared at anything and everything as he spoke.

"Really, he could just get lunch with everyone else." Lunch Rush let out a sigh. "But I guess he deserves it."

With clean hands, the blond began making rice balls, trying his hardest not to eat any left over rice. The cook seemed to notice and openly laughed. "I doubt I've ever seen you this hungry. Maybe I'll make you something special. Any requests?"

Now he had to choose. A hamburger would likely take a while and he wasn't completely sure if they had everything to go with it. Desserts would only make his stomach ache later so...He really had no idea. "Well, if I was allowed, I'd leave campus and go to that American style restaurant down the street."

With another laugh, Lunch Rush placed the rest of rice balls into bowls and turned back around. "I doubt Principal Nezu would let you just leave, especially like that, but maybe I can figure something out. Just wait outside while I get it ready."

"Are you sure it isn't too much?" He didn't want Lunch Rush to waste anything he might have needed on him.

"Not at all! I offered. Now go wait for your surprise."

Slowly, Toshinori left the kitchen and sat at a nearby table, waiting. He scratched his nails against the table's surface, not exactly sure what he'd do while he waited. He didn't have his phone with him, that was packed away in his...backpack. Where did he leave that? In the meeting room, right? He had walked out without it. Did they leave it? He hoped it wasn't locked inside. Maybe another teacher took it to the teacher's lounge? Who would do that, though? If he hadn't remembered to take it then why would anyone else?

The ex-hero shook his head. It would be fine. He just had to look later today. He didn't have much there other than a blanket and his essentials. If a student found it, they would easily be able to see his teaching ID and return it. He doubted anyone at the school would have a reason to steal from him.

Toshinori was too deep in thought to notice the doors of the cafeteria opening, but by the time he looked it was too late. The students were rushing in, focused entirely on getting their lunch. Lunch Rush started serving the students and they sat down all around him. Someone ever had the courage to sit directly across from him. He made eye contact with the orange haired girl and immediately recognized her. She waved happily as Monoma and a few other students from 1-B sat down.

"Hey, All Might-sensei." She took her first bite of rice.

The younger boy sputtered in surprise. Sure he didn't look that different, but it was at least a little strange to see your teacher in this state. "How…" he looked between her and a few other students who held similar, casual, expressions.

"Oh, Sekijiro-sensei told us about it." She smiled again before frowning. "Did you not get lunch yet?"

Toshinori returned her smile and shrugged. "Lunch Rush has it covered. There's no need to worry."

Young Monoma glared at him. Toshinori straightened in a bit of surprise before noticing that the glare was directed over him, instead of at him. Looking back, he could see the white and red hair of young Todoroki and young Iida beside him, chopping the air vigorously. He half heartedly hoped the air would recover after the rough treatment.

"All Might-sensei! As class 1-A president, I can truthfully say that our class has worried for your well being after hearing the news of your change! Is there any way I can help you?" Young Iida practically shouted.

"I'm fine, young Iida. There's no need to worry and thank you for the concern." He didn't want the attention of the entire class and if their worry started affecting their education, then he'd never forgive himself.

Young Iida's next comment was interrupted by a pat on his back. Lunch Rush was shooing away the two students. "You heros need food to get stronger. Don't worry about All Might." With another apology, Iida left and Todoroki followed after giving Toshinori a very strange look.

"That goes for you too, class B." Lunch Rush returned back to the kitchen, gesturing for Toshinori to follow. Saying a quick thank you to the students for giving him company, he leapt from his chair and ran after Lunch Rush. His stomach was annoyingly empty now. "Now, for your special lunch." The cook made a point of being dramatic as he swirled around with two bowls. One containing Katsudon, which Toshinori assumed was for Midoriya, and another with a big, fat, greasy cheeseburger and fries then he had ever eaten before in his life. It made him dizzy with hunger.

"Now, having a stomach suddenly can be weird, I assume, but don't over eat. You can share anything left with another teacher or student. Now go get this to Midoriya and stay out of trouble." The cook wrapped the plate into containers and placed both into a bag for easier transportation. He was starting to sound like Chiyo.

With a quick not and praise, Toshinori ran out to deliver his lunch to his student. He just hopped the phone call had gone well enough.

…

Izuku was dead silent when Toshinori returned to the room. He half wondered if the man had left, but once he spotted the taller male slumped in his chair, his heart fell.

The ex-hero tip toed inside and shut the door silently. Izuku, being the smart boy he is, noticed his presence and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for getting me lunch, All Might." his voice was rough and watery, as if he had been sobbing only minutes before. He likely had been, knowing the man.

"A service from one hero to another." He placed the bag onto the small table and climbed onto the tall chair. Opening the bag, he retrieved Izuku's box and slid it in front of the green haired man. "Lunch Rush made something special for you." he almost whispered it, not sure how close Izuku was to crying again.

Once the box was opened, the tears came again, along with a soft curse from Toshinori. "Now, now. Put those tears away, young man. You've had enough of that already." He stood up on his chair and rubbed at the other's scared cheek. "Let's get food in your stomach before you cry all of your calories away."

Izuku laughed a bit at that and wiped away the wetness from his face. He took out his chopsticks and rubbed then together. "I'll have to thank Lunch Rush for making me Katsudon. I really needed it."

"I'm sure you'll get plenty of time for that." The blond boy smiled sweetly and pulled out his own box. He opened it and laughed when Izuku stared. "Don't be jealous, my boy."

"Can you eat all of that? Oh! Right! You have a stomach now! That may change your appetite, especially changing to such a young age. You probably had a huge growth spurt when you were around that age so eating a lot would make sense. You were pretty thin before so more fat foods could be really good. Did your earlier form even effect this one, though?" Midoriya continued to ramble on and on.

"Eat before it goes cold, my boy." Toshinori remained as he slipped a few fries into his mouth. The taste was heavenly. The grease and salt mixing with the slightly soft potatoes made every taste bud on his tongue dance. He ate a few more, enjoying them to the fullest before picking up the cheeseburger.

It was difficult to balance in his small hands and even harder to stretch his jaw enough to fit the length of it inside of his mouth, but the result was more than worth it. He could almost hear the juice when he bit down. The sharp taste of pickle and onion balanced so beautifully with the sweetness of the meat and tomato. The buttery bun was like a cherry on some processing, he decided it needed the extra grease, and added a few french fries between the bun and tomatoes. The next bite was even better, if it were possible.

By the time he had finished his lunch sent from the heavens, he was a mess of butter and condiments. Wiping off his hands and face, he turned toward his student and caught the other smirking.

"I would ask if you enjoyed it, but the noises you made were proof enough." Izuku held a sly tone and it made Toshinori blush. Noises?! "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, though. I mean, you've been eating oatmeal and tea for the past six or so years. You deserve something good." Izuku's smirk was replaced with a genuine smile.

Looking down at his hands, Toshinori smiled softly, still a little embarrassed. "I won't tell anyone about you crying over Katsudon if you don't tell anyone I ate like a starving wolf." He showed a smirk of his own.

The way Midoriya sputtered made him giggle. "I wasn't crying over Katsudon!" He protested. Too easy to tease.

"Then why were you crying?" He knew the conversation would have to happen some time soon.

Losing his smile, Izuku sighed and pushed his phone further away on the table. "Mom was stressed. Is stressed. She was mad that the school hadn't told her sooner and she almost marched her way over here. She said that she at least wants me to sleep over there tonight. Just so she can see me. She also...Invited you, since you're stuck with this too."

It took Toshinori a few seconds to respond. "Me? Sleeping over there?" He had barely visited for their weekly meetings.

"She said we could made it fun. Build a pillow fort in the front room and everything." Izuku supplied.

If the blonde hadn't known better, he would've thought the boy-man- was now trying to convince him. Good thing he knew better. "If she's willing...then I'd love to." Toshinori smiled again before rubbing at his neck nervously. "Although, I can't say I'm any good at sleepovers. I had never been invited to one in my youth and...well, I wasn't an engineer at that age either. Or, this age, I guess."

Izuku immediately perked up. "That's okay! We can both do it! Although, we'll need enough pillows and blankets to make a decent sized fort. Since I'm taller and bigger, we may have to use a few couch cushions. Maybe I could look around for some tape or pins to help. I don't want books falling down in our sleep. Or would it be easier to tie the ends…"

Tuning out the sound of Izuku's muttering, Toshinori thought about the last time he had an experience like that. He was with Nana-sensei. After his parents had essentially abandoned him, she took him in until he was discarded into a foster family. Those few days were some of the best he'd ever had. That was also when he started seeing his master differently. She started addressing him by his first name and she insisted he use hers as well. She became a mother.

The warmth he felt was ripped away by Gran Torino's words after the day she died. "Boy, whatever you thought that woman was to you, she was just a teacher. You were a fool for thinking her anything else." The worst part was that he couldn't prove his old teacher wrong. Nana was dead. She couldn't tell him herself whether she really cared about him the way he cared for her.

Toshinori startled when a hand nudged him. "All Might?" Izuku gave him a concerned stare. The blonde smiled -it felt a bit more forced then it typically did- and he moved on. No point in dwelling on the past.

"Let's see if Nezu had anything for us."

**…**

"You will work as an assistant teacher to whoever needs you. I have assigned you a few classes to start with but you have the liberty to choose as you wish after that." Nezu sat happily at his desk, offering both missaged boys a cup of tea.

"Yes! Thank you, Nezu!" It much better than wondering the halls of UA, like he had expected. "Just give me the list and I'll begin immediately!" He held back saying his catchphrase. It could get excessive, even to him.

"I don't plan on this being a permanent arrangement, similar to your condition, but it will do for now. Your first class is tomorrow morning." Nezu passed the packed to Toshinori and interlocked his padded paws. "That will be all for now."

"Thank you again, Nezu!" the younger boy made to stand up but was stopped.

"Not so fast, All Might." He turned to the green haired male once Toshinori was seated again. "Now, Midoriya, I'm aware your mother requests your presence later today, but I think it best to continue your stay here at UA. I have found no problem with your age and your continue attending as a student. You may ask a fellow classmate for what you have missed today."

"I want to continue learning, even if I'm older than everyone else for now, but can I still spend the night with my mom?" It sounded strange coming from a grown man.

"Of course. I understand the comfort you may need at home and I respect that. I also ask that you do some discovering with your quirk as well. There's no telling what a changed body may do to an ever changing quirk like One For All."

"I didn't even think about! It could be so much stronger than I'm used to and I could easily break my arms if I'm not careful. What if…" Izuku continued to mutter to himself and took mental notes.

Toshinori stood again. "Thank you again, Nezu. I promise to help Midoriya in any way I can." He pulled Izuku out of his muttering trance and toward the exit before Nezu decided to start a monologue.

"There is no need to thank me, All Might."

They exited just in time to avoid another question by the mouse.


	5. Chapter 5

Toshinori and Izuku made their way back toward the student dorms to retrieve the green haired man's blanket and toiletries. Coming back from picking the blond's backpack, the two quietly slipped into the dorm. Neither wanted to interrupt the entire class from their studies or sleep, so they took the stealthy way in, which was just being quiet while walking through the front door. They would probably have to work on stealth later.

Once the door was shut, the entirety of class 1-A stopped moving and started with a mixture of shocked and worried glances. A few hid unidentifiable objects and banners behind their backs.

Young Sero spoke first. "We, uh, didn't expect you to some back so soon." A nervous laugh followed.

Toshinori tilted his head to the side, letting a small smirk cross his lips. What where these amazing students planning?

Young Ashido, having seemed to fully recover from her earlier ailment, smiled enthusiastically. "I guess there's no point in hiding it now." She held up the too long banner that held the words 'it's not bad to be old'. A surprise party for Izuku then?

"A surprise party?!" Izuku exclaimed. A few nods confirmed the blond's suspicion. They really were good kids to do something like this for their fellow classmates.

"Of course!" Young Ururaka responded with a slight blush. "We noticed that you were struggling a lot this morning so we wanted to make you feel better. We were actually trying to figure out how to get All Might here too."

Toshinori easily showed his surprise. "Me? Why?" He couldn't himself from asking.

Young Ururaka gave him a sad look. "Because you got your age all messed up too."

The blond noticed everyone's eyes on him and wanted to shrink. Why did he ask? "Oh! Of course! I apologize for ruining the surprise." He gave his best smile. It wasn't nearly as convincing as it could've been.

"Well, it was still a surprise! At least the cake's done!" Young Sato added with a large smile, holding up a more than impressively decorated cake. It had his signature hair with Izuku's hero name underneath. It made his stomach twist and he smiled.

Young Hagakure gently took Toshinori's hand and lead him toward the celebration. He couldn't hide his amusement. There were a few balloons and the decorations were half up. All in all, the party looked nice. He had never been once for bit, crowded events but this one called to him. He really wanted a taste of that cake too.

"I'd love to stay, but my mom wanted us over…" Izuku stuttered out.

Oh, right. They still had to go to the Midoriya's house.

Toshinori tried not to deflate at that and avoided looking at the delicious dessert. "I'm afraid Midoriya is correct. She specifically called for our presence." he sounded too old.

Young Todoroki gave them a sceptical look, opening his mouth to say something but decided against it. It was probably for the best.

"Well, at least take some cake with you! It's super unmanly to waste cake like that." Young Kirishima smiled, sharp teeth making his grin shine brighter. They really were great kids.

"Yeah! We have the whole weekend to watch movies and play games. Go enjoy your family, Deku." Young Uraraka smiled.

With a smile, the green haired man rubbed at his neck. "Thanks guys. Could I take some cake for my mom? She'd probably get jealous if we didn't share." Toshinori found the image hilarious. The short, sweet, round woman getting upset over unshared sweets. He would probably get mad too.

"Of course! There's probably enough for too." Sato smiled, already serving up three plates.

"That's a great idea!" Sero chimed.

Everything blurred together as they prepared to leave. Bakugou had stayed at the edge of the couch, sulking for some unknown reason. Toshinori took a photo of the beautiful cake on his phone and talked with many students while waiting for Izuku to finish collecting his belongings.

Todoroki had approached him at one moment, looking at him with that same skeptical look. "Why are you both going to Izuku's house? Are you...family?" He said it like a drug dealer would pass on a plastic bag of white powder. Bad comparison.

"Family? No. She simply wanted to include me for the same reason you students did for this party." He assumed it was for that reason and less for the promise he made to her weeks ago to raise her son with her.

"Are you sure?" He was obviously hinting at something.

"I'm ready!" Izuku called, saving him from Young Todoroki's quizzing stare. He struggled to balance three plates, a backpack and an All Might themed blanket in his arms. Toshinori took the plates to save his boy from the trouble and walked toward the door of the dorms with him. The many students waved, said their goodbyes -Young Iida chopping the poor air violently- and they made their leave.

A car sat outside of the front gate, the UA symbol pressed onto the hood and Yamada stood by the side door, pointing his finger guns at them. "Hey, my favorite listeners! Have fun with the party?"

"How did you know they had a party?" Izuku asked.

"They asked for a speaker to play some jams!" He pulled open the door and slid in, Toshinori and Izuku following his lead.

The ride there was relatively quiet, beside the music playing from the radio. The sun had already set by the time they got to the apartment building. It was a nice night.

"Be careful, guys! I don't want either of you getting kidnapped by some shady dudes, ya dig?" Yamada slid his orange glasses down his nose to look at them in the eyes.

"Of course, Present Mic-sensei." Izuku smiled and waved before the car drove away.

Toshinori's nerves started running high again. His anxiety seemed to get worse with ever step up the stairs but Izuku didn't seem to notice. He was smiling. He likely hadn't seen his mother since he had moved into the dorms. The blond tried to trust in Izuku's easy smile to calm his nerves. If his boy was perfectly fine with this, then so could he.

Izuku tried turning the knob but laughed when it wouldn't open. "I don't have a key with me. I guess I'll knock." he then knocked on the door and not a second later it opened.

Inko Midoriya's worried expression disappeared into a bright smile. She stepped forward and hugged her man-turned son, dragging him into the apartment. She then started crying, babbling about how tall he was, how much muscle he had and how well he aged. She kissed his scarred hands and rubbed at his matching face. She sat him down on the couch and ran to the kitchen to set out cups of tea.

Toshinori awkwardly followed them, assuming she wouldn't be angry with him for allowing himself in. He wasn't sure if he should sit next to Izuku or stay hidden in the hall to allow them their space. He would likely be easily forgotten for a good few minutes before Izuku remembered he was invited to their sleepover.

The thoughts made his now healthy heart ache, but he ignored it. He wouldn't over step his invitation. That was not his mother and this was not his home. Trying to be useful, he slipped his backpack off and placed it against the wall. He kept his phone away, knowing how rude it would be to check his texts and calls during something like this.

He wouldn't need his blanket or pillow until they slept so he left his belongings there and watched from the hall. Inko was sitting across from her son, trying to wipe away the tears as she searched every inch of him. He continuously confirmed that he was unharmed and didn't need any special care.

She was pleasantly surprised by the plate of cake. "Are you trying to get me to break my diet?" She accused in a teasing tone. She was on a diet? He wasn't completely sure why she needed one. There really wasn't anything wrong with a big extra weight, right?

"No! It's just that Sato made us cake to help cheer us up but we couldn't stay for the rest of the party because I wanted to visit you." He smiled. "I couldn't grab a fort though."

She laughed and stood up again, grabbing a fork from the kitchen and sat down once again. "I'm not the only one who got cake, am I?" She seemed to have noticed Izuku's lack of dessert.

"Um, we brought three plates so…" Izuku spotted the blond boy peeking out at them from the hall. Now that he thought about it, it was creepy to watch someone from behind a wall. He should've just sat down. Izuku's curious look beckoned Toshinori over. At least he came bearing cake.

"Oh!" Inko gasped. He didn't need to look at her to know she was staring. He looked quite different from himself as All Might and even further from the Toshinori Yagi they had gotten used to. He was far younger than the media had ever seen him and he could only hope that it wasn't a bad thing.

"Here." He muttered and pushed the plates onto the table, not feeling quite as hungry for cake now. His stomach was too busy flipping and twisting with nerves. He couldn't bring himself to smile through it. He decided to look away from the entire scene instead.

He could hear a plate clack against the wooden table and a fork scrap against the ceramic glass. Toshinori hoped they wouldn't ask him if he wanted his piece. If he never touched it then it could go to someone else without the worry of germs.

A loud sniff pulled his gaze back to the family beside him, curiosity winning his better judgment. Or maybe winning his insecurity.

Inko was crying again. Toshinori's posture straightened at the sight and he tried to make sense of it. Why would she be crying again?

"Could you...come here?" her voice wobbled out of her mouth and beckoned him toward the other couch. Once close enough, she hesitated before touching his shorter -but still quite long- bangs. He then touched his chin lightly and dared to caress his cheek, like a mother would after their child fell in the mud.

"Look at you." she smiled. "You're so...well, young." she giggled and whipped at her now puffy eyes. "I mean, you're short for once. I like it." he laughed with her this time. "And you're so he-" she paused, kneading her lip between her lip before continuing. "You're healthy." She started sobbing again and his eyes stung.

_Haven't you cried enough for a day?! _He scolded himself. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Maybe it's an apology for any neck pains I might have caused."

Laughing felt good. It made his aching heart hurt a little bit less and the sting in his eyes numb over. It made his mind less foggy.

He hadn't noticed Izuku get up until he was kneeling next to the two of them with a sober smile. "He can eat whatever he wants now, Mom. He didn't have to live off of tea and rice like he usually does."

The way Izuku spoke made Toshinori's heart squeeze. He wasn't the only one affected by his illness. These beautiful people cared about him, wanted him to be healthy. It made the stinging behind his eyes worse.

Izuku pulled him close, wrapping his strong arms around his small head and cried into his shirt. The blond was grateful for the man's unruly hair to hide the single wet stream leaking from his eyes. A sobbing Inko joined their hug, pressing her equally warm and considerably softer arms around the two.

No one was completely sure how long they sat there, hugging and crying but it didn't matter.

…

Izuku lied when he said he had little experience in pillow fort making. The structure they -he- had built was large enough for all three of them with some wiggle room. They had pulled the couches back, the coffee table pushed against the wall and a single stick keeping their tent up. It was somewhat creepy, seeing his own face smile at him from above, but he figured he'd get used to the sight by the time they had to sleep.

There were exactly three pillows to sleep on and Inko even slid an air mattress under their fort. Against their pleads for her to join, she insisted it was too inappropriate. Neither boy really understood but she retreated to her room before either could argue. Izuku wore fitting pajamas and Toshinori was back in his oversized shirt and boxers. The UA uniforms were moveable but not comfortable to sleep in by choice.

"Hey! Maybe we could stay up playing those old video games you told me about!" Toshinori suggested.

"I don't know where Mom hid the counsel but we could ask. It's only 8:00." Izuku crawled from the fort, desperately trying not to ruin it. Toshinori peeked his head out to watch the man walk to his mother's room like a kid would after having a nightmare. The thought made him giggle. Waking up the poor woman for video games wasn't a very far off scenario.

After a while, an excited Izuku and a sleepy Inko walked back into the living room and a side closet door opened. She sighed after attempting to grab the machine and asked for Izuku's help. He easily pulled it down and she handed him the tv remote with a slight glare. "Don't stay up too late, Izuku. You still have school tomorrow and I don't want All Might falling asleep in classes either." She waddled back to her room and shut the door. Toshinori felt slightly bad for bothering her.

He crawled out of the fort and helped Izuku hook the system up to the tv and they both sat in the opening of their blanket home. They played old games Toshinori remembered coming out when he was young and a few newer ones. The blond liked the one with all the different game characters. Super Brawler Boys? Something along those lines. He liked playing the fat penguin. Izuku liked the plumbers more.

By the time they stopped to sleep, it was well beyond bed time. He was going to regret it in the morning, but for the night, he was filled with a light feeling. Izuku turned off the lights and fell onto the air mattress, pushing Toshinori into the air a few inches.

They both found it way funnier than it actually was. They laughed until they couldn't breath and whenever they tried to talk again, the laughter choked their words. Tears came and with Inko's grumpy complaint, they finally got a grip on themselves and settled down to sleep.

Toshinori fell asleep with a soft smile, listening to Izuku's old man snoring.


	6. Chapter 6

_Toshinori watched as his master, his mother, stood in a black dress and flowers in her hands. The ceremony was long over, only leaving those who really cared in the beautiful garden. Sure a few relatives had shed a tear or two, said he was 'a good father and husband' but Nana had told him the stories. Only three people truly cared about the man who now lay 6 feet underneath the ground._

_Tinura Shimura, Nana's husband, died a full week ago. They had sent their only child away to another area of Japan for his safety. She couldn't lose both of them._

_It wasn't the first time Toshinori saw his master cry, that had been the day she learned of her dear husband's fate. Today, she smiled. It kept the pesky relatives away._

_She smiled while tears leaked from her eyes. She smiled when she saw his body but didn't touch him. Toshinori would never ask but knowing his curiosity, she said, "I don't want to remember how he felt like this." Her smile slipped away once the relatives left._

_Gran Torino stayed by his side, a yard or so away from the grave Nana stood in front of. She hadn't stopped crying since they lowered his body. "You know," she spoke is a soft, but warm tone. "I always thought I'd be the one barried first."_

_The morbid comment made Toshinori audibly gasp. Was that really what his master thought of? Did she think of death while they wrestled? Would she continue to think of death while he grew stronger?_

"_Now I'm the one who has to worry about all the funeral expenses." Her chuckle was sober and wet. It made Toshinori's heart seize._

_Without thinking, he walked forward until he was beside her, watching the sun reflect off of the marble stone. Slowly, he reached out and took her hand into his and held it against his chest. She didn't deserve this. She was nothing but a light in his life, guiding him to his future and supporting him through his trials. She only deserves happiness, success. No this. Never this. _

_She sniffed and took her hand back, pulling him into a tight hug. He returned the embrace, still staring at the name carved into the marble. It was surreal seeing the death date. Would his master's life be stopped so brutally, just like her husband's had? _

_The thought alone made a new wave of tears rush out. He held his mother closer, hoping it would squeeze the pain away. If he could hold her now, then maybe he would never have to look at a stone in the ground that was supposed to represent all that she was. It was impossible to imagine._

"_What are we going to do, Toshinori?" She sniffed and kissed his thick blond hair. _

_He let out a sigh and struggled to inhale again. The lump in his throat blocking the path to his lungs. "I-I don't know." He gripped the back of her dress tightly. _

"_I'll tell you," She started, tilting his head up and wiping a few tears away, only for them to be replaced with new ones. "We're going to smile, okay? We're going to keep fighting, because if we give up, All For One wins. Everyone he's hurt, everything he's ever said will be true. Do you understand?" _

_He nodded and sniffed again. He couldn't let this get to him. It would only make the death of his master's husband go in vain. The death of each older of One For All would be in vain. It was his responsibility to carry them. "I promise." He sobbed it out. "I promise I won't give up." _

"_Then show me. Show me you can fight, my precious boy." He kissed his head again and all he could do was nod. He helt loved, needed. She was depending on him and he refused to let her down. _

_In a flash the entire garden was gone and replaced with the sad smile Nana gave him while facing All For One. Her skin was bruised, her gloves all but destroyed and she was smiling at him. He felt Gran Torino's arms around him, refusing to let him go. He couldn't even hear himself scream for her. _

_Horror curled through him as he watched the overpowered villain slowly approach her. He was going to kill his mother. He was going to kill her, and he couldn't do a thing about it. He would never hear her laugh, or see her smile again. He would never feel her strong arms embrace him, love him, ever again. Only then did he know the pain his master felt during that summer day, at the funeral._

…

Toshinori woke up shivering. It was still too dark to be morning and the faces on the blankets above him were obscured. Izuku was still snoring, a thin trail of drool running down his cheek and pooling on his pillow. Sitting up, the blond noticed similar pools on his own pillow. In numb confusion, Toshinori touches his face, startled when he felt wet tears running down his cheeks.

It made sense for him to be crying in his sleep. His heart still ached with longing and he still felt the need to cry, even if he already was. He had been plagued with similar nightmares for years after her death. It seemed like every dream he had in America was about his master. They only really stopped becoming so frequent once his work consumed him. He had no extra time for dreams during that time.

Now, he wanted to be held. He wanted the comfort and love Nana always gave him, but he'd never get it back. He knew that. He's known that for a while now, but it hurt like the first realization did.

Hugging his blanket closer, he stared at Izuku's peaceful face. He knew the man would be more than willing to comfort him, but he couldn't ask that of him. He couldn't wake him up when he had classes in the morning for his own selfish needs.

Instead, he slowly crawled out from under the fort and looked around. He checked each corner, anywhere a villain could be hiding to take him away. To hurt him. With a quiet sniff, he stood up and padded toward the kitchen. He just needed water, taking their tea was intruding. It wasn't his.

With his cup filled with tap water, he sat on one of the couches, careful not to move the blanket supporting the fort. He took slow sips, trying to ease the sorrow to no avail. When he inhaled, his lungs stuttered and released just as shakily.

It was so cold. He pulled his freezing toes into the comfort of his blanket and sighed. Setting his cup down on the cushion -the coffee table was all the way across the room- he walked to the hall bathroom. He didn't bother shutting the door. He was only there to look at himself.

In the mirror, he saw himself but it wasn't the same self he looked at when he was younger. This self was still tired, still sad and still damaged. This self still hated the way he looked. Chiyo had mentioned that, at one point. She said that no matter what he looked like, his own hatred for his appearance wouldn't change. He would always look wrong in his own eyes.

"Are you okay?" A gentle and sleepy voice made him jump. Turning toward the doorway, Inko Midoriya returned his stare, squinting against the harsh light. "You've been in here for a while, but you never closed the door."

How did she know that? Had he woken her up by turning on the light? He couldn't help but feel guilty. "I'm sorry for waking you up…" He rubbed at his neck, avoiding eye contact.

"I was already awake." She shuffled into the small room with him. She stared at her reflection, trying to quickly fix her hair. It was silly to worry about fixing your hair this early in the morning.

"Why are you up, then?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about Izuku and you. How scary it must be to wake up so different." She turned back to him and furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "What's this?" She touched the dried tear marks on his cheeks and made an attempt at rubbing them away.

Shaking his head from her hands, even if the contact made him feel better, he made to leave the bathroom. "It was just a bad dream. It's nothing unusual."

She grabbed his arm before he could make his escape, pulling him back in. She stepped closer to him now, a fire set in her eyes. "You don't get to walk away like that. What was your dream about?" He recognized this tone. She used it on him when she defended Izuku about the school's dorms, but it was softer now. More protection than defending.

"I...It was about some things that happened when I was younger." He didn't want to unload all of the baggage that came with his memories of that time.

"Let's sit down." She turned off the light and pulled him into her bedroom. He hesitated, not wanting to go into a grown woman's bedroom, but she smiled in the way Nana did and insisted. "It's alright. You're safe here." She sat on the edge of her bed and sat him down right next to her. He didn't look around her room to give her some form of privacy. "Now, tell me about your dream."

"It really isn't that important. It's a dream I've had often." He tried to pass it off. Her stern look made him give in. "Um...When I was about 12, I started training with a hero who saw potential in me." he began. "She continued to train me through my years at UA and become like a...mother to me." The ache of his heart made it difficult to speak.

Inko nodded, giving him enough time to collect his thoughts before continuing. "Both her and her husband died by the hands of All For One, that villain I fought in the Kamino Ward. I sometimes have dreams about it and tonight was one of those times." He finished.

The kind woman didn't say anything for a while. She nodded to herself and turned back to him, a smile on her face. Her hand returned to his cheek and she looked close to crying. "You look tired." She slowly pulled him into a hug and carded her fingers through his hair.

His skin tingled where her arms wrapped around him. He hadn't been hugged like this in years. "I feel tired." He whispered back.

With a chuckle, she kissed his head, just like Nana did, and pulled away. She patted her lap in a silent ask for him to lay down. "You should sleep then."

"Are you sure?" He didn't want to invade her personal space or push any boundaries she may have had.

"Go ahead."

The moment Toshinori's head was on the woman's legs, she started stroking his hair and sleep was irresistible by that point. He always had a weakness for that kind of tender affection.

…

Both Toshinori and Izuku left early the next morning. They packed up their belongings, taking the used plates with them, and left before Inko would force them into staying for breakfast. As Toshinori left, he gave Inko a warm smile and a silently send his gratitude. If the slight blush and sweet smile was anything to go by, the message was delivered.

"And then I beat him on the last three rounds." Izuku rambled about their activities while sleeping over at his house. Thankfully, he kept all crying out.

"That sounds like a real sleepover. I'm just bumed you two didn't play truth or dare. It's a classic!" Yamada was thankfully careful to not use his quirk inside of the car.

"Well, it's more of a group game. Not super fun with only two people." Izuku pointed out. Toshinori had never played the cursed game but he'd heard stories. Dave had had quite the slumber parties as a teenager and all the stories that were told were strictly confidential.

"So, dessert, pillow fort and video games? Nice." Yamada turned into the school's gate. "Maybe next time you two can use some bath bombs or play some sleepover games. I swear, you will never have more fun."

Once outside of the car, they took their bags and walked back to the dorms. "Thank's Yamada!" Toshinori called back.

"NO PROBLEM!" He yelled back, making his ears ring and nearly pushing him over.

They never made it back to the dorms. A suspiciously short figure stopped them in their tracks, literally. Before either of them knew what had happened, they were on the floor, staring at a less than amused old man. Chiyo's voice rang in Toshinori's ears, "I'll be calling Gran Torino." He was going to get beaten.


	7. Chapter 7

Torino-sensei huffed as he jumped off of Toshinori's stomach, pushing all air from his lungs. After catching his breath, he sat up to meet the old man's glare with a lot less confidence than he'd hoped.

"Where were you last night? I came and everyone said you left for some sleep over!" He crossed his arms over but interrupted when Izuku made an attempt to answer his question. "I don't really care about whatever you were doing. Just don't make an old man run around to find you."

"What are you doing here, Gran Torino?" Izuku asked, sounding much calmer than Toshinori felt.

"Chiyo called me. Said you two idiots were making life hard for her again, but really, when aren't you?" He huffed at gestured toward the younger boy. "You've been a thorn in her side ever since she met you and adding Midoriya in just makes it worse." With a sigh he sat down. "Nezu also wanted to have a meeting."

"A meeting? I thought we had already discussed our next plan of action." Toshinori dared to speak up, flinching from every move his teacher made.

"Yeah, but they want to talk about One For All." He sat up -Toshinori wasn't completely sure why he had sat down in the first place- and marched toward the main building, his yellow cape flowing behind him. "Common, slow pokes. He wants it over with before classes start."

Getting up quickly, both boys followed the short hero through the front gate, listening to him ramble on about how much of a mess they had made and how annoying it was going to be to clean up. There was no point in actively listening to it. It would only make the blond feel more guilty than he already did.

"Welcome, All Might and Midoriya. We've been waiting for you two." Nezu's soft voice came from down the hall, in front of the door leading into the conference room.

"I feel like these meetings never stop." Toshinori muttered, earning a soft laugh from Nezu. They had already had two meetings over the past day, making this the third.

"It's a much needed meeting, I assure you." The mouse pushed open the heavy door and walked inside, his hands folded nicely behind his back. "Now, I doubt I will have to introduce our guests, seeing as you two are they reason they were invited."

That made Toshinori hesitate. Guests? They? So Torino-sensei wasn't the only one visiting for this? Who knew turning into a 12 year old would cause so much backlash? But this wasn't just about him. If it were, then hardly anyone would care to find a way to reverse the effect. Izuku was the one who's like was messed up because of this. A new wave of guilt washed over him like water.

Once he saw the 'guests' Nezu had mentioned, he stopped, his heart beating three notches faster. Sharp yellow eyes pierced through him like a knife. He hadn't seen those eyes for years and hadn't expected to see them ever again.

Not a full meter away, sat his ex-sidekick and best friend, Sir Nighteye. He looked just as he did all those years ago, thin, tall and professional. His tie was still just as ugly, but he couldn't focus on his silly tie. Not when the man stared at him as if he had just suffocated his mother. It made his hands shake and his forehead sweat.

Detective Tsukauchi, his best friend, held back a laugh, both hands covering his mouth to suppress any noise that might slip out. In any other situation, Toshinori wouldn't have been offended by his friend's laughing. It made sense, but this was a dire situation. Izuku's future was at risk and Sir's presence kept him in a bad mood.

Gran Torino pushed him into the room, muttering about manners and keeping them waiting. Izuku looked nervous as well, but he didn't shake. Deciding he'd had enough of being in Sir's direct field of vision, the blond hid behind Izuku's thick legs, sitting in the chair furthest from the hero. Sadly, that seat was closest to Torino-sensei. What had he done wrong to have to choose between sitting next to his old teacher and Sir Nighteye?

"Now that we're all here, why don't we start with a few questions. I know some of you may have some." Nezu turned his vision toward Naomasa, who was now composed enough to speak without the threat of laughing.

"Thank you, Principle Nezu. I'd like to ask when this whole thing started and is it really so extreme that it required all of us?" He looked toward Sir specifically. It was a good question. Not even the revelation of All For One's return or his retirement called for Sir Nighteye's presence.

"I understand that this may not seem very important, but the future of this school's heros depends on you three being here. As we all know, these two share the bond of One For All and we are led to believe this age change may be an effect of that same connection."

"But why are we here?" Torino-sensei grumbled. "Can't they just figure it out on their own, if it's really between them?"

"Well, All Might had informed me that this change had never taken place before, if he is not mistaken."

"Nope. This never happened with his master."

"That is why I called for everyone who knows about this quirk to give their insight on the matter. As smart as these two may be, this is a matter for more than just them. Midoriya's future as a hero also depends on us finding the answer and as soon as possible." Nezu sat back in his chair, returning his attention to the rest of the room.

It was quiet for a while. Toshinori felt a nudge at his shoulder and looked up to meet Izuku's eyes. He looked concerned. Did the blond really look that pitiful? Izuku mouthed the words 'are you okay?'. He definitely looked pitiful.

Sitting up, the blond gave his student his best smile, adding a thumbs up for emphasis. It seemed to confuse him more than comfort him.

"If this is truly a matter of their bond, then why has this never happened before? There can't be another quirk that we didn't know about at play." Naomasa commented. "Both To-All Might and Izuku Midoriya were quirkless before receiving the quirk and this would've happened before if it had already been a part of the stockpiling."

Torino-sensei nodded in agreement. "Out of all four holders I've met who carried One For All, this is the very first time this sorta thing happened."

The room was quiet after that. Toshinori knew he'd likely stay silent for the rest of the meeting, any information he could possibly supply was useless. Gran Torino knew the patterns of this quirk better than he himself did, Naomasa was used to looking into similar quirk cases like this and Sir had ten times the brilliance the blond did and Nezu stood by himself. There was no point in speaking up.

Izuku seemed to have come to the same conclusion. As much of a fanboy as he was, he had barely had One For All or a full year now. Funny that the two people affected by this strange string of events knew the least.

"I assume you've already ruled out the possibility of an outside quirk coming into play." Sir Nighteye spoke for the first time. "You wouldn't ask specifically for insight on One For All unless you were sure."

Nezu nodded, going into the details of the investigation. Izuku had been on campus all day, Toshinori didn't remember coming into contact with anyone but civilians on his way home and the effects would likely activate immediately. Some residents around his neighborhood where asked for testimonies as well, but no one could give one if nothing happened.

The fact that this couldn't be from some rookie villain trying his luck made Toshinori feel even more useless than before. So much for learning everything about his quirk. He had spent his entire life time -at least more than three fourths of it- training with this quirk, looking around each turn and corner of the maze of One For All just to walk into a trap set by those before him.

"We don't have record of every quirk stockpiled into One For All." Naomasa started. "It's likely that someone had a quirk that took a bit more searching to key into. Maybe Midoriya had-"

"This is not Izuku's fault!" Toshinori stood in his chair, giving his best friend a hard look. "It's not his fault he lost over half of his life time! It's not his fault that we're a mess that everyone has to find time to fix! It's. Not. His. Fault." He ignored the voice telling him to calm down. No matter who it was, he wasn't going to watch someone talk about his boy like that. Any loving father would do the same.

Torino-sensei flicked his arm and huffed out a command to sit down and shut up. He ignored it.

Naomasa immediately back tracked and spoke like he would when addressing a traumatized witness. He hated it.

Izuku started stuttering beside him, saying that it was fine, likely even. Hearing his boy admit to doing anything so wrong, to comdem himself to this torture, fueled his rage. "I mean, you keep telling me to dig down, to connect to One For All. Maybe I did do this?" He was sweating with nerves.

Sharply turning his attention to Izuku -making the grown man flinch under his glare. "Then that's my fault." He stated, calming ever so slightly to the guilt. "It's my fault for being a bad teacher. For telling you to do something that hurt you. It's entirely my fault, Izuku, not yours." He held Izuku by his head, making sure the man kept eye contact.

"All Might…" Izuku whimpered, tears forming.

Oh no. Lightening his gaze, Toshinori let go of the man's face, trying to think of anything that would stop the tears. He didn't mean to make such a scene.

Sir Nighteye interrupted his thoughts, drawing both of their attention. "If this is your fault, All Might," The way he said his name emphasised the six years of distance between them. "Then tell us how to fix this. If you're so willing to take all the credit, then you shouldn't have an issue with that."

It wasn't a challenge, he knew the man long enough to tell. "I…" His throat betrayed him, closing and refusing to let any words leave. He couldn't fix this. He didn't even know how it happened in the first thickly, he sat back down, looking away from all the eyes. It felt similar to when he had shown the world his weak form.

"Are you saying that you can't?" Sir pressed.

Toshinori glared at his shaking hands, wishing the floor would swallow him up.

"What is the point in shouldering this entire mishap when you have no means of fixing it? What does it matter whose fault it is if we're all working together to find a solution?"

The air was thick, hard to breathe. The guilt choked him, but this guilt was different. It didn't plague him with reminders of the fate Izuku was in because of him. No, this guilt scolded him for being so plainly stupid, like always. It came in the voice of everyone who had told him to slow down, to stop pushing them away and share just a fraction of his burden. This guilt made him wish he could trust them.

"Let us continue with this meeting, then. If this situation is temporary, then we should find out whether it's a matter of time, or-" The meeting continued without him.

He didn't dare look at Izuku or anyone else for that matter. He knew the concerned looks would only make the twisting in his gut worse. For being so brave, he was a coward when it came to other's pity. It crawled under his skin, poking him in all the worst ways.

Toshinori vaguely heard Nezu dismiss everyone and a few scraping chairs. He took his opportunity to march out as quickly as possible without actually running. He turned down the hall, ignoring the buzzing of his phone in his pocket and headed straight for the teachers lounge. He shut the door and climbed onto his black chair. It spin when he put weight onto it, proving impossible to get onto without lowering the height, so he did.

Once in his favorite chair, he looked through a few papers on his desk, not really planning to start reading them. He wouldn't really be teaching anyway. Just helping.

Pulling the blanket he hid for late night grading out from under his desk, he wrapped himself into a cocoon and glared at the wall. He knew they were all right. He was being hormonal, stupid. He was trying to take all responsibility for this, but it didn't stop him from doing it. It never really did.

"Don't tell me you're taking after my sleeping habits too." A low, rough voice made Toshinori jump. Turning, he saw Aizawa curled into his yellow sleeping bag, staring at him from under his own desk. A strange place to sleep, especially with the couch unoccupied.

"I'm sorry! I didn't see you." He felt bad. Aizawa was always tired and really didn't get enough nip time to make up for his lost hours. He was depriving the better teacher of his ability to function.

"You're better than Hizashi." He closed his eyes again, looking like he had gone back to sleep before speaking again. "Still couldn't find a way to get Midoriya back to his original age?"

"No." He really didn't want to talk about that meeting, especially with his hormones still rushing through his system.

"Did you have to leave to control yourself again?" He asked dryly.

It stung, remembering his quick forming reputation for making scenes at informational meetings. He pressed his fingers against his cheeks until they lifted on their own. "Not this time...sorta. I made it through the meeting at least." He muttered.

"Maybe meetings just aren't the best for you emotionally." Was that a joke?

It made Toshinori laugh, regardless of the humor intended. "Right. Right. Hero work is quite the active career path. I'm surprised I can sit through them."

"You don't." the dry answer made him laugh again.

"You have a point, Aizawa." Checking the time, Toshinori slowly slipped out of his cocoon and smoothed out the uniform he still wore. "I'll see you for hero training, Aizawa."

With a slow nod from the other, the young blond set out for his first class, in a remarkably better mood then he had been in just a minute before.


	8. Chapter 8

Despise already knowing about his condition, many of the students in the Math class he taught with Ectoplasm couldn't resist voicing their admiration.

The girl sitting closest to him swooned, eyes turning to hearts -a quirk called Emotion Emphasis was to blame for that- but held back from reaching out to touch him. He was still their teacher after all. A few of the boys held back their laughter, similar to the way Noamasa did. It was strange, being adored again. He had gotten used to people jumping when they saw him out of the corner of their eye or scaring children away from the sidewalk. He had to admit, he kind of liked the change.

"Awww! All Might-sensei! You're just so cute!" Young Amiro squealed, her multi-jointed fingers writing several things down with her colorful arrangement of pens. She had refused to let the entire class leave at one point until each and every pen was found.

"Um, thank you." He felt heat rush to his cheeks and hoped he wouldn't have to leave for being such a distraction.

"All Might-sensei! It this really what you looked like when you were a kid?" A very enthusiastic young man asked, a slight blush coming to his cheeks as he continued. "Who knew such a small kid would turn out to be to beefy-I mean, Thick! _No_, strong!" He was all red from embarrassment, much like Toshinori was. Did his students really think of him as _beefy_?

Once the roar of laughter faded, Ectoplasm stood at the front of the class. "Please settle down. We have a lot to go over and if we can get through today's lesson without interruptions, then maybe we can let you ask All Might some questions?" He turned his attention to Toshinori, asking for permission.

"Of course! I'd be happy to answer any questions!" He gave his signature smile and peace sign, gaining another wave of 'aw's.

The lesson began with a quick review of last night's homework, a few asking to go over specific problems. He stayed out of the way for most of it. Once that was finished, Ectoplasm handed him a stack of papers to pass out. The words 'pop quiz' in bold letters on the front. These poor kids.

As if on cue, a chorus of groans drew out of the many students. As he passed out papers, he heard a few curse silently, others grab their hair in frustration, muttering "Did he even teach us that yet?!" but the majority got straight to work. He gave a particularly stressed student a silent 'Plus Ultra' and a wink to try and motivate them.

Ectoplasm took the time to grade a few sheets of homework that had been passed up and Toshinori waited patiently for them to finish. He hoped he could go home tonight. He was starting to miss his now unnecessarily large bed and collection of movies. He could also take some time to go grocery shopping. It did hurt to get some good food while he could eat it. He had no grading to do, so his evening was open from what he could tell. Popcorn sounded good. American style pizza sounded better. Both pizza and popcorn sounded like heaven on earth and maybe he could throw in a pint of ice cream. He really missed eating real food.

A hand raising caught his attention and he hurried over to gather it, giving young Mitano a doubt thumbs up and a wide smile. He placed it on Ectoplasm's desk, who nodded and whispered a thanks. More hands began to raise as more finished, he collected each and made sure to add an encouraging gesture with it.

The rest of the lesson continued on without incident. Most everyone stayed focused, kept their focus on the lesson and Ectoplasm. It was nice, being back with his students. Well, Ectoplasm students. He had only been assigned to the first year hero classes. Nezu mentioned him teaching a history of heroics class, considering the research he had done on early heros and the way he himself had affected heroes. It was a good idea and a comfortable topic with him. Toshinori wondered if he would still get the chance to teach that class, once this whole mishap blew over. There was no if about it.

"Finish the remaining problems as homework. Now, I will open the floor for your questions about All Might." Ectoplasm gathered his notes, erased the front board and sat down, continuing his grading from earlier.

With a slightly nervous smile, Toshinori walked into the front of the classroom, looking at each excited face. Judging from the questions and comments he received earlier, it was going to be quite interesting.

Once everyone packed away their pencils and papers, hands began shooting up. So many beaming faces looked back at him, hoping to be chosen first. His years of working in the media made the guilt of neglected questions subside. Everyone will have their turn. Patience is a virtue after all.

He started on a young man with a big tooth quirk. "Has Midnight-sensei ever tried to hit on you? She always says she had a big crush when she was our age." Was this where they wanted to go? Oh boy.

"Did she now?" He laughed away the awkward feeling. "Well, if she has, I hadn't noticed. I prefer to think of her as a coworker and friend rather than a potential…" Lover? Flirting mate? Trying to seduce him? "Anything else." He finished dumbly. At least it was vague enough to keep suspicion away.

Continuing on, he pointed to the girl who sat next to him, having a simple scales quirk. "Um, is that kid Izuku Midoriya your son? The first years started a rumor about it. Oh! Would that mean that you're kinda like his son now?"

That one was unexpected. Even the second years noticed his favoritism? Not a good sign. Or maybe class 1-A was just loud. "I don't have any biological children." A few hands fell at that. What? "And no, he is not my father simply because our ages are reversed."

Another hand fell. He ignored it and pointed to someone else. "How old are you All Might-sensei?" She asked politely. A better turn in conversation.

"I assume I'm about 12 years old." He took another look at himself, making sure it hadn't changed since he last checked. It wasn't a completely irrational worry.

"If you're younger than us, then why do you say 'young' before addressing us?"

He hadn't really thought about it. Well, he had for Izuku since the man had turned into a less...young version of himself. It felt wrong to address anyone else differently though. They hadn't changed and he didn't either, mentally. He was still an old man at heart and in mind. He just...looked young. That wouldn't be a good argument in a court case. Thankfully this wasn't one, although it was just as tense.

"I didn't care to change my way of addressing my students." he gave them a shy smile and rubbed at his neck. "If you'd prefer I simply use your name then I can." It may take a little while to break the habit. Old dogs and not learning tricks. He found it applied to him with everything that wasn't heroics.

"Oh, no! It's okay! I was just curious!" She and a few others were quick to reassure him.

Only a few hands remained and one was for permission to get a drink. The last two were from two boys, one had eyes that change color according to his emotions. A difficult quirk to have when dealing with business but he was quite the thinker. He often talked about starting a business that hires only foreigners and those without homes. A risky decision but he was smart enough to figure it out. The other was a tall man that took more of an intimidation approach to business. He was often mistaken for a heroics student by those looking to sponsor him. He had longer hair, tied into a neat bun on the back of his head. He had the ability to grow an extra finger on any part of his body. Not a particularly helpful quirk, but an interesting one all the same.

Toshinori decided on the eye color changing boy. "All Might-sensei, how long will you be stuck like this?" He asked with a serious tone, but his eyes betrayed his excitement.

"Well, I'm not completely sure right now. It's a work in progress, trying to find the reason I'm like this in the first place and even with that information, it could be a while until we manage to reverse it." The from earlier returned and he noted to apologize to Naomasa later.

With a small nod, he turned to the last student. "Last question for the day." He smiled and readied himself. He hoped this one wouldn't be a difficult question.

"You said earlier that you don't have a biological child, does that mean that you could have an adoptive child?" So much for not asking difficult questions.

"Erm, well...no. I don't have a legal child." He tried to correct.

"But you have a child?" He pressed. Was he trying to make this as awkward as possible?

"It's a difficult question to answer. No, I don't have any biological, or adoptive children. I'm not fostering and I doubt I would be able to, but...sometimes I feel like a father. That's the best I can explain it." He was really sharing a lot, now that he was in retirement and the world knew he was a creepy skeleton. Or at least he used to be one.

"So your favoritism for Izuku Midoriya is just you trying to ask as a father for him?"

"I'm not sure if I can disclose that information to you." yes, he pulled the 'it's classified' card. He didn't want the entire school teasing his poor boy over this.

A gasp came from the front desk and the multi-jointed girl raised her hand again. She didn't wait for him to call on her before asking. "All Might-sensei, do you have a spouse?"

What was with these questions? "Why would you ask that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's a popular question with you especially. The media has never mentioned you having one, other then some stupid rumors about other heroes that's to far fetched to be true. So do you have one?"

He cleared his throat and sighed. There was no benefit to lie to them. Besides, it wouldn't really change much if the media did catch mind of it. "No, I do not."

A few girls gasped. "Not even a lover? A boyfriend or girlfriend? No one?" She sounded desperate, as if the fact that he ate, slept and lived alone was impossible. Sure, it was a lonely life style, not suited for most people, but the threats kept him alone. How could he even begin to explain the dangers that came with being his spouse. Even being a close friend was dangerous on its own. His life was built around a tower of lies and he was getting tired of keeping the foundation stable. "No, I am thoroughly single."

"There's no way! You're The Symbol of Peace, Japan's top bachelor and arguably the hottest hero to exist!" He blushed at the last one. "How could you still be single?"

How had this information caused more of an uprise than the rest of the private information he'd given out. "I decided at a younger age to keep to myself. Being a hero has its downfalls."

"What about now? Do you plan on dating anyone now that you're retired?"

How was he supposed to explain the level of damage he'd taken from the battles that left him weak and useless? Not only physically, but mentally. Both he and Chiyo knew how messed up he was.

He was literally saved by the bell. A few students waved on their way out and any who tried to stay for more questions were shooed out my Ectoplasm. Once everyone had left, heading to their next class for the day, the duplicating math teacher turned to him, his expression impossible to read. "I didn't know you would be so open. I think it helps your students to learn from you when you're honest."

He wasn't sure how to take that, but he wasn't given much time to ponder on it. He had to get to the training grounds to help the heroics classes.

…

Izuku had improved a shocking amount between the two days he'd been out of classes. Toshinori wasn't sure whether to blame the age change or his own neglect. Surely his boy hadn't been getting stronger without him even noticing. Maybe he had asked another teacher for help. That would explain it.

Toshinori stood next to Aizawa, watching the class work on yet another rescue scenario. Ever since the hero licensing exam, they had worked on rescuing. In each attack from the League of Villains, they hadn't had to worry about civilian interference and focused on either escaping or defeating them. Civilians made everything harder.

As they stood, Izuku was pulling a car from the deep water, keeping his classmates -the traumatized civilians- from drowning. Each of them had a gas mask, but once one was under above their head, a meter would start counting. If it reached two minutes, they failed. Team 1 consisted of young Shoji, Sero and Ashido. Tokoyami, Kirishima, Hagakure and Koda were their civilians. Team 2 consisted of -no longer young- Izuku, Aoyama and Asui. Their civilians were young Yaoyorozu, Sato, Ojiro, and Ururaka. The last six students waited their turns.

Even as a mock rescue scene, he could see some of the students get stressed as civilians. It only motivated the heroes further.

In team 2, Izuku held the car out of the water while Aoyama and Asui tried to pull their classmates out of the car without making the car sink further. It was a tricky situation, but all the better for their development.

Toshinori had never gotten the chance to see Izuku after the meeting and felt bad for leaving, but he could make up for that later. He added it to the list.

In a matter of seconds, the car was lifted into the air, Izuku's strong body seeming to hold it up easily. He wore a bright smile and set the car down on dry land easily.

The blond distinctly remembered him not being able to do that. Aizawa seemed to agree, making a surprised noise and writing something down. One For All flared and danced around his limbs before cracking out of sight. The civilians were easily rescued and he saw the blushing looks a few of the girls gave him. Laughing loud enough for both teachers to hear, he waved his arm and blushed himself. Still such a teenager.

Toshinori had regrettably only focused on Izuku through the entire exercise, which made Aizawa glare at him after reading his notes. He would likely get lectured about favoritism later.

Rushing over to a wet and sweaty Izuku, the blonde pulled at his uniform and smiled.

"Hey, All Might." he looked around awkwardly.

"I just wanted to apologize, my boy. Strong emotions are hard to suppress with all of these crazy hormones." he tried for humor. It didn't quite reach the other man. "Hey, you did pretty great out there, my boy. Lifting that car is a big step forward."

"All Might…" Izuku looked at him in the eyes, a sad expression painting his features. "It's easier." He said it like a kid would say a bad word.

"What do you mean, my boy?" What's easier? Lifting cars? Obviously.

"Using One For All is easier. I didn't even have to worry about breaking my bones again, didn't even think…" He sighed before continuing. "All Might, I've never been close to lifting a car before, but it was too easy. Like picking up an egg."

What was with him and egg? Shaking the thought away, he studied the taller man's face. "You didn't expect this change to make using One For All easier?" He tried to guess.

"It doesn't make sense! I know just as much about One For All as I did before this change but now I can lift cars and-and who knows what else I can do?!" He was starting to cry now, his body shaking.

"Izuku, this isn't as strange as you may think. You're stronger, your body is used to One For All in ways you can't understand. You just have to trust yourself, my boy." He tried for a pat on the head but couldn't reach that high.

"All Might, I'm not sure if...If I'm really used to this quirk now, if I can use it without hurting myself, then I don't know if...if I want to go back to the way I was."


	9. Chapter 9

Nezu gave him special permission to leave campus after the training class with Aizawa. "I see no point in keeping you here. Just be sure to consider your safety." he had said. That permission sadly came with a long lecture by the mammal about imported teas and how China's tastes differ from Japan's. Toshinori was only able to slip out once the phone rang, interrupting the one-sided conversation.

As he walked down the streets of the city -having already left the school grounds- he thought about the conversation he'd had with Izuku. _I don't know if I want to go back to the way I was. _Why on earth wouldn't he? He was a smart kid, of course he knew what he'd lost by this. How much time was wasted. Sure, he could use One For All with a significant amount of ease, but he'd missed so much experience, training.

Toshinori let out a sigh and shoved his hands into his pockets. He had already tried to call for One For All, just in case it might have returned, but he never got an answer. He was right back where he started. It wasn't all bad though. Now he'd live some extra years, saving Izuku the heartbreak. Now, he could actually try to live. Maybe he could talk to Sir Nighteye, mend their broken bond. He had missed having the man around over the past six years and although he was always one for grudges, he didn't really hate his ex-friend. But maybe...maybe it wasn't worth it. They were still so different and he knew he'd continue to be impulsive and reckless. It was his nature. That would only lead to more conflict in the future. Was having a good friend back worth it?

The bright lights of city began turning on as the sun went down. It wasn't awful dark here and he lived in a safer part of town, where the rest of the old, retired people lived. His neighbors were nice enough, especially the new couple across the street. They were expecting a beautiful baby girl. That would be nice. To have someone young to see around the streets -beside himself.

Turning into the corner store just a block away from his neighborhood, Toshinori started searching the shelves for groceries. He thanked his past self for packing his wallet. He couldn't live on the food he had at home with such a demanding stomach.

Instead of searching for specific foods, he decided to treat himself to whatever looked good. He started on the far end of the small store, looking through the shelves of pickles and mustard until he found a large can of olives. He slimed to himself and placed a few in the small plastic basket -the big carts were too high for him to comfortably push and there was no way he was using the little kid carts.

He turned down the chips isle, grabbing one or two bags and laughed at the pizza flavored potato chips in disgust. The pickle flavored chips were even worse. He looked through brands, debating whether to go cheap or go quality. Quality won out.

The next isle had a whole new level of temptations. The hundreds of bags of candy calling for him personally. There was more sugar here then he had ever eaten before in his life, especially after these past six years. He took bags of caramel, gummies, pocky sticks, chocolate pandas and added some misplaced roasted seaweed for something salty.

His basket was filling quickly and his house was still in need of real food, so he started at the international foods section. Going straight for the American area only showed more candies and a few sauce packets. His prize was boxed macaroni and cheese.

A woman with four small children surrounding her joined him in the frozen foods isle. She checked around for any sign of a parent and gave him a strange look when she found no one. He ignored her, hoping she didn't ask about his parents or why he was out alone. He grabbed some easy meals -shove in into the oven for an hour and _Bam_! Dinner is served.

A child about the age of four walked up to him, staring at his array of candy. "Look mama! He gets candy!"

Oh no. He really hated making parents mad with his example, especially when it came to food -although no child had ever been jealous of his dry noodles and oatmeal before. She called him back over, the child whining all the way. With a sigh, he turned out of the isle and into the next, just to be followed by the young child. He stared as Toshinori pulled open the freezer door, putting a pint of french vanilla bean ice cream into his basket. This was going to be a pain to carry home.

"Mama! He gets ice cream! It's just 300 yen! Come on!" He was awful loud about his complaining as well.

Toshinori made a break for the check out, not wanting to get dragged into the scene if the kid started crying, but his luck had other ideas. As he made to run, the basket bit against the blonde's shin, tripping him and spilling his groceries all over the floor. He landed head-first into the tile floor, his nose throbbing with pain. He hoped the fell had killed him to save him the embarrassment.

"Oh no! Are you okay, dear?!" The mother from earlier came rushing, cart forgotten, and helped him to his feet. Her face was laced with concern as she dusted his shirt off. "You took quite the fall there." She wiped of this face -apparently there had been more dirt on the floor than usual- and picked his groceries.

He wasn't sure why he didn't move to help. It could've been the throbbing pain in his nose that made his eyes water. Or maybe it was simply the face that he was still in shock from the fall. Before he could convince his body to move, she was already handing him his basket.

"Are you okay?" A hand under his chin tilted his head to look at the mother in the eyes. She gave him a warm smile and let him take the basket. "Be careful, okay?"

Toshinori gave her a nod and she sent him off. The walk to the check out was less shameful then he had imagined it would be. He slipped into line easily, going unnoticed by other shoppers. The chasheer gave him a strange look. Typically 12 year olds didn't shop alone but he didn't ask. But the girl bagging his groceries did.

"Paper or plastic?" she asked.

"Um, paper." he didn't want to make any environmentalists angry on his way home.

"Where's your mama, kid?" she asked in a less customer friendly tone. He couldn't blame her though, working as a bagger in a corner store isn't the most ideal job.

"I live close by." he avoided the question.

"It's getting dark outside, kid. Don't you think your parents would want you back before now?" She gave him a side glance, judging his every move.

"Maybe, but it's really not a problem. I thank you for the concern though. It's nice to know this store has such dedicated workers." he gave her his biggest smile.

She looked at him for a few seconds, finishing her job quickly, and handed the two bags to him. Before he could leave, she placed a hand on his shoulder, her look more serious than irritated now. "You can't assume you'll get protected, especially with All Might gone. Stay safe, kid." She gave him a firm nod before returning to her job.

He thought about her words as he walked home in the dark. Was this how every day civilians approached his down fall? He was so used to hearing the extremes from the media. It made him smile. If people were starting to look out for each other, protecting each other, finally gaining some bits of common sense -that he may have taken from them- then maybe his fall wasn't so bad after all.

…

Toshinori didn't get the chance to have a movie night once he got home. His neighbor's dog had gotten lost again and the couple across the street left to go to the hospital. The baby was due today.

He sighed as he sat down on his couch, groceries shoved away in the lower cabinets and threw his backpack onto the cushion beside him. He pulled out his phone for the first time since that morning and scrolled through the unread messages and missed calls. He had a few from Izuku, mostly videos and articles he had found interesting and anything else notable through his day. He had a text from asking about the parent-teacher meetings they'd had and if his age change would affect those. He chuckled to himself. Him turning into a 12 year-old didn't stop her from worrying -it might have made it worse- therefore the meetings were still needed. He continued scrolling once the message was sent.

He had a missed call and a few messages from Naomasa about the meeting. With a sigh, he read through the series of apologies.

_**Nao**__: Toshi, I'm sorry if what I said this morning made you upset_

_**Nao**__: that was stupid to say. Of course it made you upset._

_**Nao**__: let me try again. Toshi, I'm sorry for making you mad. I just wanted to throw the idea into the mixing bowl in case it sparked an answer_

_**Nao**__: I hope this doesn't mean you're taking Mikans away. :(((_

Toshinori laughed openly at the texts. He sent back a quick response, not expecting one back until tomorrow given the detective's busy schedule.

_**Mighty:**_ _no, Nao, I will not kidnap your cat again. I apologize for acting so hostile. I am still not used to being young. I hope you can find it in year heart to forgive this old man._

He debated about using an emoji but decided against it. The last notification was a missed call from an old number. Sir had called him? It was almost nostalgic to see the numbers again.

If deciding whether to use an emoji or not was a debate, then this was a full on war. He weighed the pros and cons of calling his ex-partner back. It would be an emotional conversation, he knew that, but he'd always had such a hard time reading Sir's emotions from his voice alone. If he didn't call back then he'd likely never call at all. He'd miss his opportunity to work through their conflict and likely never get his friend back...but the question arose again. Was it worth it? Reliving all those memories that had already been made, protected from the risk of what might happen if they made new ones.

His thumb hit the icon without him telling it to. He panicked as it rang, but didn't move to hang up. His anxiety grew with every ring. He stood up to pace the length of his living room. Just when Toshinori thought he wouldn't pick up, the ringing stopped and Sir's voice came from the speaker of his phone. His body froze as he listened.

"All Might, if you called me just to get the notification off of your phone, then tell me. I do not have the energy nor the time for this." Sir sounded too tired.

Toshinori couldn't bring himself to speak. He couldn't trust his voice to not crack and his eyes were already starting to water. He was really too sensitive like this.

"All Might? Don't tell me you butt dialed me." His voice was less tired by this time, but it still held irritation. This really was going to be a rough call.

"N-no." his voice wobbled and he cringed.

"No? So you meant to call me?"

"Yes…?" Technically his thumb did it, not him, but the was on his hand so it still counted as him, right?

"...What did you want, All Might?" he could hear the hesitation.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so emotional but it just happens, and even before I turned into a kid I was too emotional. It's not your fault that I'm impulsive and crazy but you don't want me to say it's mine either because you know I blame myself too much but I can't stop and-and maybeijustwanttobeyourfriendbutatthesametime-"

"Toshinori, take a breath. I can't hear you anymore."

He wanted to cry again, but it felt like a defeat if he did, so he did as told and gathered his words. He wasn't sure where to even start working this out with Sir.

"Start again, okay? Don't worry about what I want to hear, okay?" It felt so good to hear Sir's more friendly side. Or maybe he was reading it wrong.

"Sir, I don't know if I want to try fixing this. Us. I don't regret leaving or not listening but I don't want to regret not trying again either."

The other side was silent for a while. It was silly. Ridiculous to call Sir about this, just to tell him that he was unsure. It was like waiting in a long line to order, just to tell the cashier you had no idea what you wanted and expected them to choose for you. Sir was probably tired, having worked at his agency for hours. He probably stopped him from going home. It was selfish of him.

"All Might, I can't say that I forgive you. You are self-destructive, especially since your first fight with All For One. I really don't know what you expect from me." A sigh came from the other side. "I'm tired and more likely to be upset with you right now. Call me again, alright?"

The call ended and the beeping echoed through his skull. He wanted to throw something and laugh at the same time. At least he had been right. He was selfishly taking Sir's time for his silly problems. Had he always done this? Depended on Sir to pull him out of his own fickle mind?

Slowly, he set his phone down and walked into his room. He suddenly felt tired. It'd been a long day and he didn't want to think anymore.

His misfortune continued as he walked into his room. A medium sized box tripped him on his way inside. He had managed to catch himself, after bumping his nose again. His eyes watered from the pain and he growled in frustration, kicking the box out of the door. A loud clang came from inside of it and he winced, hoping it wasn't something of value.

The side of the box read his name in big letters and he stopped throwing his mini tantrum. He crawled over to it, flipping it open, expecting his comics or maybe a few awards -he distinctly remembered pulling a box out a few days ago while rushing out the door with Aizawa and Yamada.

Toshinori was met with the smiling face of his master. He sucked in a breath. Had he really forgotten how beautiful she was? He slowly picked up the photo. Torino-sensei was with her, along with himself, around the same age as he currently was. This was the only photo Nana took of herself. She hadn't even sent one to her son before sending him away.

Looking back into the box, he saw more pictures and a file. How long had this been here? Picking up another photo, he gasped and nearly dropped the frame. It was Nana and her master. She was a bit older than he had been in the last photo, but she smiled brighter than he had ever smiled. She always had.

His vision blurred as he looked at her soft, young, alive face. Her master looked so proud of her. He looked at her the way he'd always hoped he looked at him and the way he himself looked at his successor.

The next picture showed her master as a young boy with someone else and the line continued until the photos were black and white and fuzzy. It didn't go all the way back to All For One's brother, but it gets to his successor's successor. He lined the photos in order on the hardwood floors and watched each person, each warrior who had fought against that monster and lost. Everyone who got him his dream.

Digging further, he found notes and quotes from each holder to those who held the quirk next. To him. He read Nana's a million times over, trying to memorize each word: "I have never loved someone in the way I loved you, and my only regret is not being able to see you find your own happiness. I trust you to find as great a successor as you were."

Finally, he pulled out the file. It held dozens of hand written stories. Some talked about their experiences with the quirk and a few others. Nana's talked about learning to tell the difference between her own quirk and the others in One For All. Teaching him must have been a struggle. How did you teach a quirkless kid to use a superpower, especially one so complicated.

One story, faded and written in neat cursive, told about a very strange incidence. He and his successor had changed ages not long after the quirk was passed. He assumed One For All was passed down through family for a while before All For One began targeting the older families.

All For One had tracked and killed him easily in his weakened form. His successor continued on, saying that the quirk was easier to control, but his knowledge on it's possibilities and what it could do was lacking: "I will never get that time back, but I cannot let this be the downfall for One For All. I will search for my own successor soon. I have accepted this fate as permanent. That is the nature of my Grandfather's quirk."

Toshinori found nothing else about the incident. He couldn't breathe.

This mishap, his and Izuku's mess, was permanent.


	10. Chapter 10

Toshinori wasn't allowed in the conference room anymore.

He didn't really have to be in the meeting either. It was only Nezu, Izuku and Torino-sensei. He'd already read all there was in the box and they all wanted to avoid him getting overly emotional once again.

Apparently, Gran Torino had given him the box as he went out to America and he'd never looked at it once. He had to think of what to add as well. He had a full life ahead, especially with All For One locked away in Tartarus. He had plenty of time to add photos of him and Izuku -he thanked his past self for taking many selfies with his boy- and write anything he thought was needed for the future holders, if there would be any. There was really no point in passing the quirk anymore and the only reason he had passed it himself was to create a new symbol. Maybe that was the new purpose of the quirk.

Toshinori walked in the grass of the UA courtyard. He had brought his snacks from yesterday with him in his backpack and savored each salty chip.

"Hey, there! Are you one of the exchange students for America?"

The blond jolted at the sudden call and turned to see young Mirio and (he could genuinely call her young) Eri. she worse her hair in two loose braids and her red overalls.

"I heard that an exchange student went into class 1-B but I didn't know there were two." The pair walked closer, a beaming smile on the older blonde's face. His smile faded a bit as he got closer. "Wait a minute...You seem familiar. Have I seen you before? If so, then I apologize for not recognizing you." His smile came back in full force.

Then his questions registered. "Oh, me? No, I'm not an exchange student." he gave them his own smile before realizing what situation he had put himself into. If he wasn't an exchange student then of course young Mirio ot seeing him would be more suspicious. By your third year at UA you get to know other students well -at least in the heroics course.

"Oh? Then why haven't I-wait. You kinda look like...no way." He looked a bit more suspicious now, which made Eri anxious and even more shy. "There's no way you're All Might. but...I mean…"

Toshinori waves his hands through the air in an attempt to defuse any suspicion. "I know it sounds a bit crazy but I am! It's the effect of my…quirk." How was he going to explain that one?

Lucky for him, the older boy ignored it, the smile returning once again. "No way! Really?! You were so old before! Now look at you! You're almost Eri's age, right? It looks like it." Before he knew it, Toshinori was in the air, held up by strong arms like a baby. It was a bit embarrassing but he hoped it didn't show on his cheeks.

"All Might?" Eri's sweet voice sounded less scared -which was a very very good thing- and she peeked he head out from behind the young adult.

Once he was set down, Toshinori wrapped up the chips that were still in his hands and shoved them into his pocket. "Yeah, it's me. Or should I say…" He paused for a dramatic effect. "I am here!" He gave his biggest smile and showed off his guns -not that he had any. That brought a laugh out of the two of them.

"Man! Who knew! So, does this mean you get to live a healthy life for a little while? When does it wear off?" The questions were all too innocent.

"It...doesn't." He muttered, not wanting to think about the effect this will have on Izuku. How much his boy would miss because of this quirk.

"Oh! Well, then I guess you get to be healthy for longer." A tug at Mirio's pant leg caught his attention. Eri looked up at him, a bit shy, but still not too bad.

"Will we see Aizawa and Deku?"

Ah, she came to visit her friends. "I think Aizawa is still in the teacher's lounge, if I'm not mistaken. Izuku is in a meeting, though." A meeting that would decide if he could still be a hero or not.

"Then we'll visit Aizawa. Sorry to leave so soon." Mirio bowed, as if he had to apologize for leaving.

"Oh, it's fine. I do have to warn you though. Izuku is…" grown up? A man? Not as young as he was? "Older." he decided.

Both visitors gave him a strange look at that. "Older?" Eri asked first.

"Um, yeah. Like me, but in reverse." He used hand motions in hopes that it would make more sense.

"Is he okay?" Mirio asked, his expression laced with concern. He was almost as bad as the boy's mother.

"Um, physically, yes. He's not sick or anything, but...I don't know how he will be emotionally. This whole thing has been kind of rough, especially now, finding out that it's permanent." He wasn't sure how Izuku would take the two visiting him. If he was sad, he could either be glad to have someone by him or he would suppress his feelings to smile. Like he himself had done so many times.

"We'll be careful then." The blond gave him a nod, which he returned. As the pair walked away, Eri looked back at him and smiled. He could not possibly imagine why anyone would wish to hurt such a sweet girl.

Now alone, Toshinori decided to train. If he was going to get stuck like this for a while, he might as well get stronger. Heading to the track, the boy changed into his now official UA uniform and started warming his muscles. He started with stretches, then a quick jog around before he started to really run.

His heart was pumping, pushing blood in and out of his veins. He was on his fifth lap around and he really had to train harder. Maybe he could find another beach to clean. Just for him.

He stopped when he saw a certain spiky haired teenager watching him from the weight room. Those red eyes glared into his soul. He fought off a shiver. "Young Bakugou!" He called.

"Aren't you younger than me?" He spat.

"You...have a point." He chuckled to himself to help lighten the mood. It only proved to make it more awkward. "So, what are you doing here, my boy?" He gave another smile.

"I'm allowed to work out before class."

It seemed as though Toshinori was hitting every pot hole in the conversation. "Well, yes. That's true."

Bakugou walked toward the door of the locker rooms. It was most likely time for class. Sighing, Toshinori finished his last stretch and moved to get some time in the weight room, but the sound of the explosive teen calling him caught his attention.

"Hey, All Might!" How had he left the locker room so quietly? "So you're stuck like this?"

It felt like more of a statement than a question, but Toshinori nodded all the same. How did he know that? Was it a guess?

"Don't waste the rest of your left becoming an extra. Don't go around pretending like you're still a hero either. It's annoying." With that, the teen left.

The blond couldn't decide whether he had been insulted or somehow given advice. He'd have to think on that one later on. For now, he'd clear his mind, like he intended to do in the first place.

…

Izuku came out of the meeting just as classes started. He had a soft smile on his face, but Toshinori was still having difficulty deciding whether he was going to announce good news or start sobbing. Nezu's face was unreadable, as always, and Torino-sensei was always grumpy so really he had no context.

"I will let Midoriya here explain our conclusion and get a pass late to class." Nezu proclaimed as if it were a master plan. With Nezu, you really couldn't tell if it was or not.

"Thanks, Principal Nezu." the green haired boy thanked softly. So, he was sad?

"Don't go around making any more messes, you hear me?" Torino-sensei warned. "Riding all the way out here isn't exactly cheap."

"Yes, sensei." Toshinori recited and avoided brushing the smaller man's arm as he marched out. Nezu returned to his office, and it was just him and Izuku. They stood there for a while. Neither speaking.

Toshinori decided to break it first. "I'm assuming it went more smoothly without he in there." He joked. It was likely too soon to joke about, because Izuku released a shaky sigh and leaned against the wall. The younger boy followed him, letting his full attention go to his successor.

"I read the things they said. The people who had this quirk before me. They were all so...so amazing. They weren't all heroes, at least not officially. I also ready about...your predecessor. Nana Shimura?" Izuku gave him a weak look.

"Yes, she was my master." He didn't really have to confirm it, but it filled the silence.

"All of them talked about All For One. They were so scared...He murdered each and every one of them. Amazing people…" The tears came and Toshinori was ready to hold his boy like he was a teenager again.

"When...when I was younger, in America, I was terrified of All For One. He was all I could think about. Dream about. Everywhere I went, I thought I'd see him, ready to end me the way he had my master. It wasn't until I met Dave that those nightmares stopped. Or, slowed at least." He wasn't sure why he shared it. Maybe it was because his boy never needed to fear that villain the way they all had. He was free from the line of murder and terror.

"All Might...I want to be a hero still. More than ever. I want to save people, to keep people from feeling the way these people felt. The way you felt. I want to make people smile. I can still do that, All Might. Nezu said I could continue being here, at UA. I'll just have a shorter time as a hero than I thought. It'll be harder for me to go big, knowing so little and being so old, but I'll do it." Izuku stood up suddenly, almost knocking Toshinori off balance. "I will make a world for you to live in. A world where you can do whatever you want, quirkless or not, and hear me say the words 'I am here'!"

Toshinori couldn't breathe for a second. He knew he would live to see it, now that he wasn't going to die so suddenly, but Izuku was motivated to save him. He didn't feel like he deserved it, but he wanted it. He hadn't really felt the full effects of being quirkless in a while, especially at a young age. It would be difficult for him to live his entire life without a power, but Izuku wanted him to be happy.

"I love you, my boy. It's weird, since you're older now, but you're still like a...like a son to me." He hoped with his entire being that he hadn't ruined the moment.

Izuku's eyes when wide and he sobbed out his name. "All Might…" Toshinori was pulled into a tight hug and he barely heard the next words his son spoke. "Can you still be my dad? Even if you're younger?"

"Yes!" Toshinori felt his heart grow as it warmed his chest. He had a family now. He had someone to live for. Someone to love him.

"You don't have to marry Mom, though. Not if you don't want."

Toshinori blushed, but didn't pull away. "My boy!"

Izuku laughed, which made the younger boy laugh. "Maybe we shouldn't suggest Mom gets married to a 12 year-old." The green haired man wiped at his eyes helplessly.

"That would be for the best."

…

"All Might?" Sir answered the phone faster this time.

"Hey, um, I just wanted to call again. I think...I think I know what I want now." Toshinori gulped down his nervousness.

"Alright. I'm listening."

Now he had the stage. He could say all he wanted, but he only needed to say one thing. "Sir, I want to try again." He knew he likely didn't deserve a second chance after being so stubborn. Sir had said himself that he hadn't fully forgiven him, but maybe they could still work this out?

"All...Toshinori. I think I can learn to forgive you for throwing your life away. For not giving Mirio One For All. For making a mess. I think that, in the end, it's worth it. Izuku Midoriya is a fantastic kid and he deserves to be a hero just as much as Mirio does."

It was like music had played. "Thank you, Sir." He sighed in relief. He had a second chance.

"Will I expect to see you back in the field? Even if you don't have a quirk, I'm sure you can find some way to still be a hero."

"You know what...I'll get back to you on that."

"Then tell me the final plan, of Peace." It was as close to teasing as Sir could get. If felt refreshing to hear it again.

Toshinori ended the call and for the first time, he actively thought about what he wanted his future with this new life to look like. What was he going to do with so many years ahead of him? Surely he couldn't become All Might all over again. When given the chance to relive your life, why would you repeat it? Sure, his life had been more than fulfilling. His dream had been achieved, his nemesis was in Tartarus and would never get out. He could still help bring the League of Villains down, he could help the police with the rising crimes, or even continue to work in charities and hospitals for those who needed a bit of hope. But...Sir was right. Maybe he hadn't been then, 6 years ago in the hospital after his fight with All For One, but he was now. The world doesn't need All Might anymore. They don't need him to save them, to give them hope, because they have each other. They have Deku.

And now, he can look forward to the day his son will look the world in the face and say "I am here". Even if he has to do it two feet short.

**Author notes**: Yes, this is the last chapter I plan to write. I will be focusing on my other story for Halloween and if you have any questions about this one, don't be shy to ask! I love questions. If you wanted to see something happen with this AU, I could find some time to add extended chapters later on.

Thank you so much for reading this story and each comment and reader has motivated me to finish! This is the second story I've actually finished, so thank you! Tell me your favorite parts, maybe a ship you thought I'd make happen or one you think would be cute in this AU! :)))


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